Three Souls, Three Paths
by the original esca chick
Summary: AUish. Gaea is plunged into war. 3 women appear each playing an important role in the future of the planet. Their choices will affect Gaea's ultimate fate&destiny. 2 NEW CHAPS ADDED!
1. Ch 1: The Unavoidable

AU-ish. 3 girls go to gaea and cause a bit of chaos. All 3 or them play an important role in a war that will deside Gaea's fate. 3 romances occur. drugs, sex, and violence inside!

I'm rewriting this b/c I wasn't happy with the original version. There'll be talk of drugs, drug use, drunkenness and sex. So don't say I didn't warn you. Enjoy!

Written by esca chick

Co-writters: Meave(chapter 1 only) and Jodi

A/N: ya, I know what you're all thinking "Why the hell is she writing ANOTHER fic!? Doesn't she already have a bunch she still needs to finish?" Yes, that is all true. I still have other fics I need to finish but I know that I can make this one work! I even wrote an outline! Any ways, my other fic Alone I Stand is almost done but I don't want it to end! So I must start a new fic!

Well any ways, this fic is about three girls who go to Gaea instead of Hitomi (yet again I'm re-writing the series). These three friends soon become separated when they arrive on Gaea. Lot's of romance goes on here, three couplings to be exact. Um there are some changes like all the main characters are older. Emma, Myranda, Brodie, Van, Millerna Dilly, d-slayers and Celena (which reminds me, she and Dilly are 2 separate ppl!) are 17 years old; Allen, Dryden and Eries are 23; Folken is 27(man he's old!); Chid is 7. Any ways, I hope you guys enjoy this fic and I hope that didn't sound too confusing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne. I do own my characters Emma, Myranda, Brodie and Andrew.

Three Souls, Three Paths

Chapter One: The Unavoidable

            Emma stood on the edge of the soccer field tapping her foot with her arms crossed. Her sapphire blue eyes arrowed as they looked at her watch. Once again Myranda was late. _That is the last time I leave my equipment in her locker_, she thought bitterly. Now because of her friend's tardiness she would be late for her soccer practice. 

Already she could hear her coach yelling at her, saying something along the lines of _"What kind of role model are you being?! You're in grade eleven for crying out loud! If you keep this up you're off the team!"_ Emma sighed and looked back at her watch. Practice was to start in only three short minutes.

            "Hey Emma!" Myranda shouted as she ran up to her friend.

            "You're late." She said bluntly. Myranda hung her head low, making it seem like she was upset.

            "I'm so sorry…I really didn't mean to. Here's your bag." She held out the navy blue gym bag. Emma snatched it out of her hand and opened it diligently. She pulled out the shin guards and cleats, putting them on in a hurry. Emma then ran out to join her teammates. As she ran she stopped and turned to Myranda.

            "Don't worry 'Randa, I still love you!" she shouted and flashed a toothy grin to her friend.

            Myranda sighed and sat down on the bleachers. Her mind wandered to the bizarre dream she had of the raven-haired boy the night before. For some reason she couldn't get her mind off the dream and focus on the senior girls' soccer team. She was supposed to be making notes of any players who looked like they were slacking off. It was her job as team manager to do so. 

Myranda found herself laughing at the irony that she was the team manger and was barely able to make it on time for the practices. A soft breeze sent a few wisps of her bright red hair astray from the ponytail they had been tied in. Myranda lazily tucked them behind her ear; she would fix it later.

"Hello sexy." A sultry voice said into her ear. Myranda turned around only to be ambushed by her friend Brodie. Myranda desperately tried to keep her balance while trying to pry her friend off.

            "Brodie…! I'm gonna fall…!" Myranda said, laughing wildly.

            "So, you'll cushion my fall!" she replied in an overly cheerful tone.

            "Oh Brodie!" Myranda said in a sarcastic tone. "We can't do this here. Let's go to the washroom!" Myranda suggested, grinning wickedly. She enjoyed playing these naughty games with her friends; there was nothing they wouldn't do to freak people out in public. Brodie let go and stepped away.

            "Are you ashamed to show your feelings for me in public?" Brodie asked in a heartbroken voice, playing along. "Cuz if you are, I…I…think I might have to leave you and even then I wont know what I'll do. You complete me." Myranda shook her head slightly as she wondered how she always became friends with the weirdest people.

            "Brodie, you have a boyfriend." Brodie lowered her eyes silently and began to coil a lock of her chestnut brown hair around her slender finger. Myranda looked at her friend; something wasn't right. "Brodie, what are you hiding?"

            "Tyler and I……well we……"she bit her lip, not wanting to finish her sentence.

            "Oh Brodie…"Myranda walked up to her friend and embraced her. "What happened?"

            "Well it's kind of embarrassing…um…he said there was too much sex in the relationship and we should see other people."

            Myranda suppressed a laugh and asked in a mocking tone, "Do you want me to kill him?" 

Brodie broke the embrace an said in a humorous tone, "No, that's my job." She replied with a slight grin. "So how's the practice going?" Brodie asked, changing the subject.

            "Emma's mad at me. I was almost late."

            "And she blamed you? Your teacher Mr. Curk always goes on and on. Me and her had him last semester. He really doesn't know when to shut up."

            After their coach had put the girls on both the senior and junior soccer teams through numerous drills she then had them play a quick scrimmage against each other; the seniors against the juniors. Both teams were given five minutes to make plays and decide who would play and who would be subs.

            "Let's show the junior what were made of!" one girl shouted.

            "Don't let it get to your head Steph. We have to out smart them." Emma said. "I'll play forward center right." When time was up, both teams got into position. The junior had won the coin toss so the seniors had to go the defensive first.

            It didn't take long for the senior girls to get control of the ball. About ten minutes into the game Emma got a clear breakaway. She ran as fast as her legs would take her down the field. When she went to kick the ball into the net her vision began to darken and her heartbeat slowed. Sudden an image appeared in front of her; a boy clad in strange armour stood before her. Unable to stop, she ran through him and slowly began to stop running. Soon everything around her became pitch black.

            Emma's eyes were shut loosely. As a soft breeze ruffled her hair she lifted up her face and let the hot air caress her skin. Her eyebrows knitted together and she opened her eyes. To her horror she could see a city in flames. Her heartbeat quickened as the flames grew higher and drew nearer to her. As she looked closely at the city in flames she could see amongst the chaos what looked to be metal giants helping the fire become greater.

            She found herself surrounded by darkness once again. However this time she could hear voices. Some were familiar, other were completely alien to her.

            "I won't fail like my brother…"she heard an angry young males voice say.

            "Ahhh….! The Leprechauns are after me!" Emma recognized the voice; it was Brodie.

            "…As a knight of Asturia... Allen Schezar. You're our guest in this fort. To protect you as the owner of this fort... ...as a knight... ...no, as a man, I must do it…"an older man's voice echoed. _Where are these voices coming from?_ Emma wondered.

            "You're wearing strange clothes. Where are you from?" another man's voice spoke. Emma almost had an urge to talk back but before she could utter the reply another voice sounded in the darkness.

            "Well then, shall we go? You there carry Allen's bags." This time it was a woman who spoke. Her voice was overly cheerful and made Emma feel sick.

            "Doesn't he sorta look like Johnny Depp from the movie Arizona Dream?" It was Myranda's voice who spoke this time.

            "Just don't get too familiar with Lord Van. I don't want foreigners like you taking liberties with him." The voice was young and childish.

            "Who are you!?" Emma shouted in frustration to the mysterious voices.

            "Hey Emma!" Emma turned to see Brodie standing in the distance waving to her. She smiled and felt relieved. _I'm not alone here!_ She began to walk towards her friend but stopped suddenly as she saw a strangly-clocked man grab Brodie and drag her way.

            "Brodie!" She shouted and broke into a desperate run but stopped when the darkness consumed her friend. "Brodie…"

            "Emma…."She turned on her heel to see Myranda behind her. She then began to run to her friend, fearful that the same thing would happen to her. When she was only a couple of strides away the ground began to quake. The space between Emma and Myranda separated, pulling the friends apart.

            "Myranda!" Emma shouted as she stood at the edge of the newly sprouted cliff. She felt scared and frustrated. What was going on? Then without warning the ground under Myranda broke apart. Emma's eyes widened in fear as she watched her friend fall to her death, or what could have been her death. A man fell after her. Emma couldn't get a look at whom it was. As he fell he sprouted glorious white wings and caught hold of Myranda, saving her. Darkness once again consumed Emma.

            "Emma…can you hear me?" Emma squeezed her eyes shut tightly_. Why is that voice so familiar?_ She wondered. _Am I dreaming?_ Finally she opened her eyes and noticed she was in the nurse's office. She tried to sit up but was stopped. "You shouldn't try and sit up just yet." She turned her head to see her crush standing by.

            "A-Andrew" she stuttered. _I must be dreaming!_

            "You passed out on the field."

            "How…how long was I out?" She asked, a slight blush crept to her cheeks_. He's so much hotter up close…I just hope I don't say anything stupid._

            "About an hour I'd say." He answered. Emma kept her eyes on him. He was the epitome of perfection. His eyes were as blue as the ocean, his platinum blond hair was unruly and was asking to be tamed. His body was well built but not too muscular. He was just perfect. "You're a pretty good player Emma." _He knows my name?_ Emma looked away from Andrew; her cheeks turning a bright red colour.

            "Um thanks but I'd never be as good as you." She slapped herself mentally. _I must sound like some groupie!_

            "So Emma what happened between you and Andrew? Did you guys get it on?" Myranda asked while giving a suggestive look as she, Emma and Brodie walked home from school.

            "Myranda! Who do you take me for? I don't just make out with a guy I just met-"

            "Did you forget about Kevin at Sandra's party? You talked to him for ten minutes and made out for forty!" Brodie said, elbowing Emma in the side.

            "I was drunk. At least I'm not as bad as you Brodie." Brodie looked at her friends confused.

            "What'd I do?"

            "Maybe you should rephrase that to 'Who did I do?' Brodie." Myranda said in a matter-of-fact way.

            "Who…" Brodie repeated. "Oh! Ya, well I'm Brodie! I'm allowed to do that." Emma and Myranda just shook their heads and continued walking ahead of the their friend. "Hey! Don't walk too fast! You know I can't run in my hooker boots!"

            "Well then don't wear them!" Emma shouted over her shoulder. Brodie sighed heavily and tried to catch up to her friends without tripping.

            "But they look so good with the kilt." Brodie said, pouting her lower lip. "Oh! Guess what I heard."

            "What?" Myranda asked.

            "Andrew's leaving."

            "What!?" Emma exclaimed. _No, he can't be…_

            "Ya, apparently his dad's business got moved to Europe or America or something. He's leaving in a in a couple of days." Emma stopped walking. "Emma?"

            "I'll see you guys later okay." Emma mumbled and began running back towards the school.

            "What is she doing?" Brodie wondered out loud.

            "She's finally getting the nerve to do something she always wanted to do. She said that she always wanted to play a one on one with Andrew before he graduated in June. But since he's moving in just a few days she can't be a meek little baby anymore. I've always told her to take what she wants and now she's finally following my advice." Myranda explained.

            "Wanna go watch?" Brodie asked with a wicked grin.

            "Of course."

            Emma ran to the back of the school. _Please don't be gone yet!_ Her mind screamed as she rounded the corner. She looked around and walking away from the field was Andrew with his soccer ball tucked firmly under his arm. _Okay Emma, you can do this. Wait, no you can't. Yes you can!_ She gathered every last drop of courage she had and called his name. "Andrew!" she shouted.

            "Oh hey Em." Emma felt her knees turn to jelly. _He called me Em! He gave me a nickname!_ "What're you doing here? I thought you left with your friends." 

            "Um Andrew……God this is gonna sound so stupid."

            "What is it?" he asked, grinning slightly.

            "If it's not too much trouble could you…would you…um would you…"the pit of her stomach knotted with nerves. She had never felt like this before in her life.

            "Would I…?"

            "Would-you-play-a-one-on-one-game-of-soccer-with-me?" she blurted out quickly. She looked down at the ground, awaiting his rejection. 

"Sure…" Her head snapped up with surprise at his reply and blushed deeply as he smiled sweetly at her.

            "Hey look! It's Emma and Andrew!" Brodie shouted.

            "You don't need to shout. I'm standing right beside you." Myranda and Brodie walked towards the field to watch. "Hey you go sit on the bleachers, I'm gonna go turn on the lights." With that said, Myranda jogged over to the equipment shed and turned the power on.

            Emma came to a halt when the lights turned on. She looked to the bleachers and saw Brodie and Myranda standing and waving. Emma waved back smiled. "Go get him Emma! Fuck him hard too!" Emma shook her head sadly. _Only you Brodie would say that, only you…_

            "You two shut the fuck up!" Emma shouted back suppressing a laugh. Of course by saying that, she only provoked the hooting and hollering. Ignoring the hoots and hollers, she dribbled the ball back to centre field. Andrew stood on the defensive within the six-yard box, waiting for Emma to try and score on him.

            Emma focused on the game; it was still tied 0-0. She began to dribble the ball down the field. As she approached the eighteen-yard box a dazzling pillar of light descended from the sky above. Dazed by the brightness of the light, Emma continued to run. When the light disappeared it left a boy standing in the field. Emma recognized him and figured she was dreaming so she didn't bother to stop. By doing so, she smacked right into a boy clad in the strange armour. Shocked and stunned she fell backwards. _No way…he's real…_

            "Emma!" Brodie and Myranda shouted in sync and dashed down to the field.

            "Are you all right?" Myranda asked, helping her friend to her feet. She then looked at the boy who her friend had run into. _It can't be!_

            "Myranda, what's wrong?" Brodie asked, noticing the stunned look on her friend's face.

            "He…he's the guy from my dream…"

            "Wait, from your dream?" Emma question. "I had a dream about him this afternoon."

            "Huh? You both had a dream about him?" Brodie asked confused. "You know, now that you mention it, he kinda looks familiar…like I've seen him before…" The boy in the armour eyed all three girls and raised an eyebrow. _They all had a dream about me? What a weird place this is…_

            "What sort of demons are you?" He demanded in a cold tone.

            "Demons? We're not demons." Myranda said, correcting the stranger.

            "Emma!" Andrew shouted as he ran up and joined the other girls. "Are you alright?" He asked, eyeing the strange boy.

            "Who are you and what do you want?" Myranda asked cautiously.

            "I am Van of Fanelia. Now you best leave. A dragon is coming. So unless you want to be eaten by a dragon, leave."

            "Dragon? You've got to be kidding-" Brodie began.

            "Don't say I didn't warn you." Van said, his voice was so cold and serious. As soon as he finished speaking a portal like opening appeared before them. Out of the portal came a large and grotesque dragon.

            "Holy shit…He wasn't joking…"Brodie mumbled.

            "Come on, let's get the fuck out of here!" Emma yelled grabbing Brodie and Andrew's hand. Myranda however wanted to stay. Something told her she should. 

"Come on Myranda!" Brodie shouted and began to drag her friend by the arm. They ran until they reached a local park, which was just a few blocks away from their school.

            "This is just so weird." Myranda muttered between breaths.

            "What's going on?" Andrew asked, feeling like he was being left out of something.

            "I wish I knew exactly." Emma said leaning and leaned against one of the beams supporting the swing set. "All I know is that this afternoon I had a dream and that guy was in it-" The ground trembled. The group of teens turned and to their horror they saw the dragon. It had followed them somehow.

            "Hey! Over here!" Van shouted, trying to get the dragon to attack him.

            "I think we should start running again." Emma whispered to her friends. They all nodded and agreed.

            The dragon looked at the playground and prepared to breathe fire. Within seconds the playground was in flames. "Will that guy be alright fighting that thing?" Brodie asked aloud. Emma watched carefully as Van tried to cut and slash the dragon. Her eyes then widened as she saw within her mind the dragon penetrating Van with its tail.

            "No…he's…he's gonna die…" Emma then ran towards the fighting. "Look out above!" She shouted as she saw the Dragon's tail raise up in the air. She quickly covered her eyes, fearing that Van hadn't moved out of the way in time. She only opened her eyes when she heard the beast scream and feel it fall to the ground. Van had cut open the dragon causing the green coloured blood to spray about everywhere. Carefully he removed a pink crystal like stone for its chest. When the object had been removed, the dragon's body and blood all disappeared.

            "Are…are you alright?" Myranda asked as she approached Van.

            "I don't need women to worry about me and I didn't need any of your friend's help. But if it's thanks she want then she can come to my castle but don't get all cocky about it." Emma glared daggers at Van.

            "Why you good for nothing bastard!" she shouted at him. Brodie held Emma back. "If it weren't for me you would have been dead! I only helped because I really didn't want to see anyone die. God, the least YOU could do is say thank you!" Myranda walked up to Van so that they were almost face-to-face.

            "I really hate guys like you. You're so egotistical. And this is what I think of guys like you." Myranda raised her hand and slapped him forcefully across the face. She then walked over to Emma who was being comforted by Brodie and Andrew. "It's alright hun. I slapped him good for ya."

            "Thanks Myranda…" Emma paused and noticed something strange. He pendent began to glow. "What the-!?" Before she could finish speaking a pillar of light surround her and her friends. It was only seconds later that they all felt themselves being lifted from the ground. However not everyone was being lifted. Andrew was still standing on the ground. He reached to Emma who had her hand out stretched and trying to grasp his. But it was a useless attempt. The light soon vanished and all that was left was just Andrew.

            Emma sat up in the meadow of tall grass. _What happened?_ She wondered. _Where's Myranda and Brodie?!_ She jumped to her feet, fear sinking in. Nothing looked familiar. _How'd did I get in this meadow? Am I dreaming?_ Her mind filled with questions that begged for answers. Her heart felt at ease though when she turned around and found her friends. "Where are we?" she asked, hoping one of them had the answer.

            "I'd say we're near the village of Urthas." Van answered as she gazed up at the night sky.

            "Urth-what?" Brodie asked wondering if she too was dreaming. Nothing seemed to be making sense.

            "Where are we exactly? Where'd you take us?" Myranda asked in a demanding tone.

            "Myranda…"Emma said, tapping her friend on the shoulder.

            "Not now Emma." Myranda whispered.

            "No Myranda you should really see this."

            "What is it?" she asked annoyed. All she wanted was some answers out of Van since he seemed to know "_everything_". Emma said nothing and just pointed up at the sky. "What the fuck?! How'd-what the? But how can we be-If that's Earth then where the hell are we?"

            "Earth? Is that what you people call the cursed place?" Van asked.

            "Cursed place?" Emma repeated, hoping for an explanation from Van.

            "We call it the Mystic Moon."

            "So if we're not on the 'Mystic Moon' then where are we?" Emma asked.

            "This is Gaea."

A/N: I hope you like the newer version of this fic. It's gonna be a lot different than what was originally planned. So hoped you enjoyed and if ya want me to e-mail ya when I update just leave your e-mail or e-mail it to me at esca_chick@hotmail.com


	2. Ch 2: A Little Country Called Fanelia

Chapter Two: A Little Country Called Fanelia

            "Come on, we should start walking." Van suggested or more like ordered. But as soon as he took a step forward he stopped. "We're surrounded…" his eyes narrowed and his hand slowly made its way to the hilt of his sword. Emma could feel her heart begin to race once again. _This has to be some sort of a dream_, she told herself. _This just isn't possible. I'll wake up; I know I will_. She pinched her arm, hoping that she wouldn't feel it. Unfortunately she felt a sharp pain ran up her arm. _Oh great, I feel sick…_

            One of the beast-men walked forward, breaking away from the group. "Van?" he asked. Van eyed the creature carefully and smiled.

            "Long time no see Rhum." A feeling of relief washed over the three girls as they discovered that the beast-man Rhum was a long time friend of Van. They were even more relieved when they discovered that they wouldn't have to walk to Fanelia and that they could ride atop of the enormous Yaks that the beast-men travelled with. Brodie looked up at the clear night sky. _This is so trippie…did I eat shrooms today? I don't remember…_ She leaned toward Myranda and lightly tapped her shoulder.

            "What?" Myranda asked quietly.

            "Did we smoke a joint or have shrooms at all today?" Brodie asked. Myranda looked at Brodie with a blank stare. Her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to remember.

            "I…I…don't know…if we did, it would explain this…"

            By early morning they had arrived in Fanelia. A massive crowd of people had gathered at the city gates. All three girls couldn't help but feel as if they were on display. "What's with all the people?" Brodie asked in a whisper to her friends.

            "How should we know?" Emma replied sharply. "Why don't you ask Van?" She turned her head to where Van sat only to discover he wasn't there. "What the? Where'd he go?"

            "He jumped down." Myranda pointed out.

            "Perhaps we should do the same." Emma suggested and moved towards the edge. "Oh boy, um, who wants to go first and catch me?" Emma asked, turning to her friends smiling nervously.

            "Just jump down. If Scrawny Vanny can do it then you can." Brodie said, nudging Emma in the arm.

            "Can you slay a dragon?" Emma asked, narrowing her eyes slightly at Brodie.

            "Just go already." Myranda ordered, annoyance dripping in her voice.

            "Why don't you go?" Emma asked.

            "Fine I will." Myranda jumped down without hesitation. "Now are you coming or not?" Emma stuck her tongue out at Myranda and jumped down. Brodie then followed.

            "Whoa, am I seeing things?" Brodie asked as she looked over to where Van was. "Is that a cat-girl hanging off of him?" 

            "That's what it looks like." Emma said with widened eyes. _This place just get's stranger and stranger…_

            "I, Van Fanel, have completed the right of dragon slaying and have   
returned with this Dragu-energist." Van announced as he held up the pink stone he had taken from the dragon. Emma, Myranda and Brodie all watched carefully, all wanting to know the importance of the  _'dragu-energist'_.

            The four men in armour looked at the energist in awe and bowed down to Van. "We four leaders of Fanelia Samurai confirm it Prince Van." the largest of the four spoke. The scars covering his face made Emma shiver. There was something strange about him.

            "Prince?" Brodie repeated. "He's a prince?"

            "Apparently." Replied Myranda, who was also in shock.

            Later on in the morning, Emma, Brodie and Myranda were all given rooms at the castle which stood on the other side of the city. Even though all three girls were given separate rooms, they all gathered in one that just happen to be Emma's since it was in between Brodie's and Myranda's. Brodie laid sprawled across the queen size four-post bed, her hands resting behind her head. Myranda and Brodie had come to the conclusion they we're tripping out as they had earlier suspected. Everything was too real to be an illusion.

            "This is all too weird." Emma stated as she paced across the wooden floor. "This can't be real! It has to be a dream!" Myranda rolled her eyes and stood up from her spot on the bed. She walked up to Emma and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her.

            "This is real! Just get a grip of yourself." She then let go and apologized for shaking her.

            "But think about it Myranda. We're on another planet! They can see Earth from here, how come we can't see Gaea from earth? Huh? Answer that!" Emma shouted in a sharp and bitter tone.

            "Maybe it's hidden or something." Brodie suggested as she repositioned herself on the bed so that she was on her side, facing her friends. Emma let out a frustrated sigh and pulled at her hair.

            "I need a drink or some shots of tequila to calm me down or something." Myranda put her arm around Emma and nodded.

            "I really don't think a few shots would hurt."

            "I wonder where they keep all the booze…"Brodie said aloud, not expecting an answer. 

            "All the wine gets stored in the wine cellars, idiot." All three girls brought their attention to the window. On the ledge of the window sat the young cat girl Merle. She mindlessly groomed her paw by licking it a few times before stopping. She eyed each of the girls suspiciously. "None of you get too familiar with Lord Van." She said in a calm yet annoyed tone.

            "Familiar? What do you mean?" Myranda asked. Merle shot a deadly glare at her and swished her tail back and forth.

            "Just don't get too familiar with Lord Van. I don't want foreigners like you taking liberties with him." Emma's eyes widened. She had heard that exact phrase before_. It was from my dream…_She shrugged it off. _It's just a coincidence_.

            "Paranoid." Emma whispered to Myranda who nodded.

            "I heard that blondie." Merle hissed. Emma's mouth hung open, ready to throw an insult back. Myranda though placed a firm hand on Emma's shoulder and shook her head as if to say, "Don't even bother. It's not worth it_." Don't do anything-foolish Emma; we don't know what we're dealing with…_Myranda thought to herself. Emma narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw shut. One thing she hated the most about being blonde was that everyone always assumed that she was ditsy or an airhead.

            Merle jumped down from the ledge and cautiously approached Emma and Myranda. She circled them and began to sniff them. "You're clothes are weird."

            "So are yours." Myranda replied sharply.

            "Not as strange as yours. I've never met a woman who wears shorts that short. Are you a prostitute?" Merle asked looking at Emma; she was known very well around Fanelia for being as curious as a kitten.

            "I am not!" Emma yelled in outrage.

            "Emma, calm down-"Myranda began before being cut off.

            "Calm down!? You weren't just called a-!" Merle had taken notice of Emma's necklace and snatched it off her neck. She held it in her hand and dangled it in front of her own face.

            "O……pretty…….I think I'll keep it." With that said Merle dashed out of the room. Myranda tried to hold back Emma but it was no use. Emma was able to wriggle free of her friend's grasp. She wasn't about to lose her pendent. It meant so much to her. It belonged to her mother, who told her it had a great importance and wanted it to become like a family heirloom. _I'll pound that cat into the ground once I get my hands on her._

            Emma ran like mad through the maze of hallways and corridors, chasing after her cat burglar. However Emma should have paid more attention to where she was going. As she rounded a corner she collided with an innocent person just walking by. Both were sent flying backwards. Emma winced at the pain and slowly tried to get up. 

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to run into you." Emma opened her eyes and wished she hadn't. It was the cocky prince Van. _Great, now he's really gonna hate me_, she thought to herself.

            Van stood up and suppressed his urge to yell or hit her. His day hadn't been going exactly peachy. First he had practice with his master Balgus who ranting and nagged at him to charge more aggressively. Now her had collided with one of the women from the cursed place. _I think their misfortune is rubbing off on me…_He thought bitterly. _Perhaps after the ceremony I'll have them banished from Fanelia. The last thing I need is bad luck_. Although Van wasn't typically the type to belief in such things as _"bad luck"_ but ever since he had come in contact with those three girls nothing had been going his way.

            "Do you think we should go and look for Emma?" Brodie asked, sitting upright. 

            "In a few minutes. Emma's a fast runner. I don't think we'd be able to catch up." Brodie nodded. They'd wait for her to return. Myranda walked to the open window and looked at the courtyard. It was full of activity. Soldiers preparing their guymelefs, servants and other castle workers setting up decorations for the coronation ceremony. 

            "I'm really, really sorry but I was chasing this cat girl because she stole my necklace-" Emma began to apologize and explain.

            "You foreigner's have absolutely no manners." Emma turned around to see Merle sitting on the group smiling smugly.

            "No manners? You're the one with no manners. You stole-!" Merle jumped up from her spot, threw the pendent at Emma and jumped in Van's unexpecting arms.

            "Oh Lord Van!" she cried cheerfully into his chest. "She was so mean to me. She threatened to kill me!" Emma rolled her eyes and walked away. Merle grinning inwardly, she wasn't going to let anyone get close to _her_ Lord Van.

            When Emma walked into her room, she wasn't surprised to see Myranda and Brodie still hanging out in her room. Myranda was the first to notice Emma's depressing aura. "Emma what's wrong?" she asked. Emma ignored the question and grabbed a chair, pulling it up to the open window. She folded her arms on the window ledge and rested her head on them. "Emma? What happened?"

            "I want to go home…"Emma mumbled. "I hate it here…" Brodie got up from her spot on the bed and walked over to Emma, Myranda followed. Both girls put a hand on her shoulder for reassurance.

            "We want to go home too Emma." Brodie began. "My parents probably think I ran away by now." Brodie finished, giggling slightly. She had in the past threatened her parents she would.

            "At least your parents won't be as worried as mine." Emma replied in a shaky voice. "Knowing my mom, she probably thinks I was kidnapped, raped and murdered." As Emma finished her sentence her head snapped up and her eyes widened. "Oh my God! Andrew! The police will probably think he abducted up and murdered us!"

            "Whoa, Emma, don't jump to any conclusions." Myranda said, in hopes of calming her friends fear. "There's no proof that he did-"

            "But he was the last one to be with us. And who'll believe him when he says that a guy fell form the sky, slew a dragon and then took us away in a pillar of light? Who Myranda? Who!?" Emma's breathing increased rapidly, fear was consuming her. "I feel dizzy…" Myranda and Brodie grabbed Emma by the arms and helped her over to the bed.

            "Emma lay down and take deep breaths, everything will be fine." Myranda said trying to once again calm her friend down.

            Later that day, everyone in Fanelia gathered around the castle to watch the coronation ceremony. Emma, Myranda and Brodie were invited; much to Van's dislike. But his master Balgus insisted that he invite them, they were guests in the castle after all. Emma paid little attention to the ceremony; her mind was too busy sorting out her thoughts. 

            Just as the ceremony came to an end, Emma was hit by a strong and intense sensation of déjà vu. She knew something bad was about to happen but couldn't say what. She stayed perfectly still, trying to figure out what was going on. "Enemy attack!" a soldier shouted. _Enemy…?_ Emma's eyes narrowed. She had heard those exact words before. 

She turned towards the chaos coming form down below. Buildings were being destroys, people killed; whatever was causing the massacre was invisible. "Emma!" Myranda shouted and grabbed her friend's arm. 

"Huh? Where we going?" Emma asked as she began to run with her friends.

            "To the shrine. The big grey hair dude told us to go there with Scrawny Vanny." Brodie answered. Van heard the comment and shot a dirty look at Brodie. _Opps, guess I said that too loud,_ Brodie said inwardly to herself.

            When they had made it into the shrine, Emma collapsed to her knees.  She could feel her stomach twisting and turning inside her. The urge to vomit was rising to a number one priority. Even though she couldn't see the people die, she could sense and feel it. Their faces flashed before her eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks in endless streams.

            "It'll be okay Emma." Myranda said, crouching down by her friend. Emma shook her head and brought a hand up to cover her mouth. A muffled sob escaped her lips. Why wouldn't the fighting stop? "Emma?"

            "I…I…"Emma stuttered. "I…"she lifted her head and noticed Van standing in the centre of the room and above him hung a rather large rock. He held up the pink jewel like stone and shouted out a few words. Myranda watched carefully, there was something strange about the whole turn of events; things for her were becoming familiar.

            The rock shattered into pieces. From the rock emerged a giant suit of armour. It landed in front of Van in a kneeling position. Its beauty could leave anyone speechless. Myranda gasped in realization. She had seen the majestic armour once before. It had appeared in a dream she had had a while back, perhaps a week or two ago.      "No way…"she mumbled. Emma wiped away her tears and looked at the giant armour.

            Brodie looked in awe at the giant. There was something familiar about it but she just couldn't put her finger on it. She knew she had seen it before but where was the question. Van climbed up on to the knee of the armour, the pink stone in hand. He slipped it into the red coloured gem on the breastplate of the armour. When that had been completed, the cockpit of the armour opened and Van jumped in.

            "What are you doing?" Myranda asked, running up to where Brodie stood; Emma followed closely behind.

            "I'm going to fight in Escaflowne." He answered. The opening to the cockpit closed and the giant rose from its kneeling position. When Van noticed that all of the girls were still standing out in the open he yelled to them, "What are you doing!? Hide yourselves now!" just as he finished speaking, the wall of the shrine broke. Van turned in the Escaflowne to face his invisible enemy. He unsheathed the massive sword and prepared for battle.

            "To your left Van!" Emma shouted. She wasn't sure how to explain it but she sensed the enemy's presence; she knew where it was going to attack. Van turned quickly and blocked the oncoming attack. Numerous streams of liquid metal were deflected by Van's sword, which then sliced away at the now solid metal.

            "Emma how did you know?" Brodie asked in utter amazement.

            "I really don't know. I just could feel it." She answered and then yelled back to Van as she sensed another enemy's presence in the shrine. It was right behind Van. "Van behind you!" Van tried but couldn't turn. He was caught up fighting off the first giant.

            However his master, Balgus, came to the rescue. With his oversized sword, Balgus chopped off the arm of the enemy armour. The three girls, who were still in perfect view, could only stare in wonderment. "For an old man he can move pretty fast…"Brodie commented, not being able to peal her eyes away from the scene before her.

            "Lord Van! Take the three ladies and escape now!" Balgus yelled, knowing that it would be best for his new king.

            "But Balgus!" Van protested. He wasn't ready to give up just yet.

            "Lord Van!" Balgus shouted in a scolding tone. Van didn't question him this time. He sheathed his sword and bent down, holding his hands out for the three girls to climb into. He then left the shrine and to his horror, Fanelia was in flames. His once beautiful country had been destroyed in just a matter of minutes. Everything he had was gone.

            Van turned back to the shrine and yelled in a shaken voice, trying to hold back his tears, "Balgus! Withdraw! It's over!" Emma once again began to feel sick. Something horrible was about to happen. As she looked in Balgus's direction she witnessed his death. One of the invisible giants shot a spear like object made of liquid metal at Balgus. He fell from the giant he was fighting to the ground below.

            All three girls looked in horror. Even though they never knew Balgus very well, it was still painful to watch him die. "Balgus!" Van yelled, a few tears escaping his eyes.

            "Lord Van…get out of here with Escaflowne…and someday revive Fanelia…the people of Fanelia…" Balgus took his last breath and fell into the eternal sleep, death.

            Emma held her head in her hands, shaking it. "No…this is all a dream…all a dream…wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" tears rolled down her cheeks. She wanted this horrible nightmare to end. She just wanted to be back home on Earth; where she belonged.

            At that very instant, Emma's pendent began to glow a familiar glow. Myranda was the first to notice. A bright pillar of light descended from the sky above and whisked all four of them away.

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to post this. A lot of things came up which delayed the writing of this. Also my new co-writer took her sweet time going over the chapter. But it was out of her control. So I hoped you enjoyed. The next chapter gets a little interesting. If ya want me to e-mail ya when I update just leave your e-mail or e-mail it to me at esca_chick@hotmail.com


	3. Ch 3: A Knight, A King, A General

A/N:Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. I'm really sorry for taking so long to update

Chapter 3: A Knight, A King, A General

From the dark night sky a blinding pillar of light descended. As it fell from the sky, it broke into four separate streams; separating the newly crowned king and the three girls from the Mystic Moon, the cursed place.

"Did I get back home?" Emma wondered as she sat crouched in a ball at the base of a tree. Her eyes drifted upward to look at the sky. She could see nothing but leaves and branches of the tress around her. Her hand clutched the red pendent hanging from her necklace like it was her own personal security blanket.

The rustling sound coming from a nearby bush sent fear through her body. Her heart began to race and her limbs trembled. A sinister laugh came from her right. She turned quickly to look but wasn't fast enough. A hand sprang from the darkness and grabbed her wrist tightly. The plump old man grinned from ear to ear as his eyes landed on Emma's pendent in her hand. It would certainly fetch a pretty penny.

Terrified, Emma let out an ear-piercing scream and trashed about; her nails clawing at him, scratching his thick skin. "Ow!" the man cried as Emma sunk her teeth into his arm. She wasn't about to let him do anything to her. He let go and began rubbing his arm where it had been bitten. Emma quickly jumped to her feet and prepared to run for it.

Just as she was about to turn and make her exit, a bird, no an owl, flew overhead and began attacking the old man. Emma began to run, looking over her shoulder. She only took a few strides before her body collided with another figure. She stumbled backs and looked the man over whom she had ran into. He was clad in a blue and white uniform of some sort. When her eyes fell on his belt, she felt her heart go heavy. _A sword…I'm still on Gaea…damn it!_

"A-Allen!" The old man shrieked.

"Owie…" Brodie whined as she rubbed her behind. She blinked her eyes a few times as she tried to adjust them to the darkness. _What the hell happened?_ She wondered from her spot on the ground. Directly in front of her was a forest. She turned her head to look over her shoulder. There she saw a large sandstone wall. Every so many feet an oil lamp hung, lighting the surrounding. _Where did I…?_ She looked up at the sky and saw two moons. _So I didn't get home. Then where am I?_

She rose to her feet and observed her surroundings. Was she still in Fanelia? Deciding that standing there would do no good, she began to look for a door or someone. She followed the wall figuring it would lead her to an entrance of some sort. "Hey!" a coarse voice yelled from behind her. "Don't move!" he ordered. Frightened, Brodie turned to see whom it was. The man was tall and had a brutish appearance. The long Katana in his hand scared Brodie the most. Was he going to kill her?

Throwing caution to the wind, she turned on her heel and ran like there was no tomorrow.

When the light faded, Myranda opened her eyes. Everything seemed so dark, but her eyes eventually adjusted to the low lighting. "Am I…?" She looked up at the sky, hoping to see just the moon. "So I'm still here…" she sighed. "Oh my God! Fanelia!" Her eyes darted around. She had to tell someone about Fanelia.

"Who are you?" a soldier demanded from behind her. Myranda turned to face the soldier.

She ran up to him and grabbed him by his shirt. "Please! I need your help!" She begged. "Fanelia! It's-It's burning! You gotta do something!" The soldier looked at her with wide eyes. Was she some sort of a demon? _She did fall from the sky…_he mused.

"So you've grown tired of petty thievery and now your attacking helpless women? You'll pay for that. Now take your punishment!" Allen lunged at the man, throwing a forceful punch at his jaw. The old man was sent flying and crashed to the ground in an unconscious heap. Allen then turned to see the woman that the mole man had attacked. He looked her over carefully; there was something very strange about her. "You aren't hurt are you miss?" Emma quickly shook her head in response. "What are you doing in the forest this late at night?" He asked. "It's not safe."

"I…I…" Emma stuttered. "uh…" her legs and hands trembled. Allen raised a brow. Why was she acting so fearful of him? He was a Knight of Cali.

"You-" Allen began but stopped. He turned around, his hand moving to the hilt of his katana. "Stay behind me." He whispered.

Emerging from the darkness was Van. His eyes narrowed at the knight. What could he have done to Emma? Even though he wasn't fond of her or her friends, he wasn't going to let anyone get away with harming a woman. "What did you do to her?" he spat, his hand gripping his katana's hilt tightly.

"Making rash threats is never a good idea." Allen responded coolly. Slowly, Van began to unsheathe his katana. "Don't draw!" Allen barked

"Why?" Van asked, eyes narrowing further.

"My duty as a knight is to answer steal with steal. I don't draw to play games." Emma bit her lip. _Van don't do anything stupid,_ she begged. But from what she had seen in his past behaviour, he would draw. _Men and their stupid pride_.

Of course Van, being the young and arrogant royal he was, drew his sword. "That was foolish." Allen commented then proceeded to draw his own katana. Van gritted his teeth together and charge at the knight. Allen dodged the attack with ease, like it was nothing. Van sliced his katana at Allen who elegantly flipped over Van, catching the young king completely off guard.

"You're swordsmanship is excellent. But-" Emma's eyes widened in fear as she watched Allen charge towards Van. "-You don't charge aggressively enough. It would be a shame to kill you. So I struck you with the back of my sword." Van laid on the forest floor unconscious. Allen turned to where he had left the woman he had saved earlier. "Are you all-" His eyes widened as he noticed she was gone. _Where did she…?_

Emma ran like mad through the forest. She had decided to run before she could witness Allen kill Van. She had witnessed enough deaths for one day; she wasn't exactly in the mood to see another man die. As she ran, she dowsed to find her other friends. She figured that if both her and Van were still on Gaea then her friends must be too. She followed the path her pendent led her and found herself at a fort. Without hesitation she entered; running past the guards who chased after her.

"Myranda! Brodie!" She yelled as she spotted her friends in the half empty hall. She ran up to them and embraced them.

"Emma!" they shouted in unison.

"Have you seen Scrawny Vanny?" Brodie asked out of curiosity. Emma bit her lip.

"I…yes…but…" she closed her eyes as she tried to fight off the mental image of Allen killing Van from her mind.

"But what?" Myranda asked concerned.

"He…"her eyes opened slowly and she began to take in her surroundings. "Where are we?"

"You're in the Castelo fort on the boarder of Asturia and Fanelia." An answer came from behind the three friends. Emma cringed at the sound of the voice and unlike her friends she turned around slowly.

"Whoa, who's blondie?" Brodie asked in a whisper. Allen stood at the doorway with a look of confusion written on his face.

"Hey! The boss is back!" one of the soldiers shouted and went to greet Allen.

"He killed Van!" Emma shouted and pointed at Allen with an unsteady hand. Myranda and Brodie looked at Emma and back to Allen.

"He what?" Myranda asked.

"I saw it! Van did nothing. He just pulled out his sword and Allen killed him!" Allen raised a brow.

"I didn't-"

"Yes! You did!" Emma shouted, interrupting the knight.

"No, I hit him with the back on my sword. He's resting at the moment." Emma looked at him with uncertain eyes. She had a bad feeling about him.

When morning came, Allen, Van and the three girls gathered for a round of formal introductions and explanations. Van explained about Fanelia and the three mysterious young women over half a dozen times. "So, you're saying that these are really from the Mystic Moon?"

Van growled and spat a yes. "For the last time yes!" Myranda yelled, surprising both Allen and Van. "How many fucking times does he have to say it!?" Allen brushed off the harshness of her voice and picked up the sheathed katana from the table. He unsheathed it a little, just enough to show the emblem delicately engraved into the blade.

"If the king of Fanelia say's so, I must believe it." Allen stated then sheathed the katana. Van's eyes narrowed and he quickly snatched his katana out of Allen's hand. Allen turned his attention to the three women. "I didn't catch you're name last night miss. You ran off." Emma adverted her eyes.

"I'm Emma."

"Emma," Allen rolled her name in his mouth. "It has a lovely ring to it." Emma's cheeks flushed. What was she to say in response to that? Allen leaned on the table, bringing himself slightly closer to Emma whom immediately sat upright and shifted in her seat.

"I'm Myranda." Myranda said, bringing the attention off her obviously uncomfortable friend.

"And I'm Brodie." Allen looked up at the two other women. They were definitely not from this world, he mused.

"Allen, I apologize for entering your country without permission." Van began in a somewhat rational tone, "So give me back Escaflowne!" he demanded.

Allen leaned back in his chair and looked at Van with an unimpressed look. "And what will you do with the guymelef?"

"Return to Fanelia." Van said, standing tall and proud. "I was sent her in the middle of a fight against and unknown enemy."

"It wont do them any good." Allen mumbled under his breath.

"What!?" Van demanded.

Allen locked eyes with the king. "Fanelia's been destroyed. Everything was burned to the ground." The news caught all four youths by surprise. _Fanelia…_Myranda thought and her eyes. Emma could feel her stomach churn. _All those people…_ Brodie stood feeling confused. Everything just wasn't making sense.

"Y-you're lying!" Van choked. He didn't believe what he was hearing. _It can't be_, he told himself.

"Some of my country's merchants saw it happen. I'm sorry." Allen rose from his seat. "What in the world happened? If you talk to me, we might be able to help."

Van didn't hear a word Allen had uttered. He was too post in his thoughts. "Fanelia…it's gone…" _how…why…_His brows knitted together. He swore to himself that when he found the person responsible for his home's destruction, he'd get even.

Brodie leaned against the wooden rail and looked to the sky. Her mind wandered back to the events of the previous night. _This has to be a dream. Only in dreams can you move from place to place. Only in dreams but… this feels too real…_ Her thoughts were interrupted as the ground began to quake.

"A Zaibach Empire floating fortress." Allen stated, obviously surprised by their presence. He could only wonder what they'd want. The three girls looked to the large rock like object floating in the sky. Moments later smaller objects began to fall from the fortress. Brodie gasped as she recognized them. "It's those things that attacked Fanelia!" She shouted before hiding herself under the small wooden table. Allen's eyes followed the brunette but then shot back to look at the Zaibach guymelefs.

Myranda, Emma and Brodie stood behind the crowd of soldiers in the main hall of the fort. Emma tried standing on the tips of her toes to see over the shoulders of the men. Brodie had no trouble seeing at all. Her black, heeled boots gave her the extra height she needed. Myranda had little trouble as well; she had just enough height naturally to see. Behind the three girls Van stood with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't bother trying to see like the girls, he had his own approach to seeing that didn't involve looking like an idiot. He pushed his way through the wall of soldiers.

Emma was first to notice Van pushing through the men. She immediately followed as her feet were getting sore from her failed attempts to see. Brodie and Myranda followed as well; they'd closer to the action. When they could all see clearly, the three friends were aw struck at the sight before them. Sixteen young men all clad in black leather. It was like some kinky dream coming true. "Wow…"Was all Emma could utter.

"Dude! Look at the silver haired one!" Brodie whispered excitedly.

"I just wanna tackle one of them and-" Emma quickly elbowed Myranda as she noticed her voice begin to rise.

Allen glanced towards his left. _Great_, he thought. All he could do was hope and pray Van didn't do anything foolish. He wasn't too concerned about the girls. For once his infamous reputation would be useful. However, seeing Van reminded him of an important question he needed to ask the Zaibach General.

"Lord Dilandau, these military manoeuvres wouldn't have anything to do with Fanelia to the west being burnt, would it?"

The silver haired general let out a subtle laugh. "That back water little country? It was probably destroyed by the dragons that seem to wander around the area. Any ways, it was a country led by a coward king who's gone into hiding."

Van tried to suppress his angry and the urge to charge at the general, katana in hand and slice him to bits. His warm brown eyes glared coldly at the general as his hand found it's way to his sheath. "Cowards are the ones who hide themselves in battle." Van spat. Myranda's eyes widened and a terrible feeling began to overcome her. _What the hell is he thinking!? The last thing he needs is to bring attention to himself!_

Dilandau casually looked over his shoulder, blood red eyes narrowed. Who did that sad excuse for a soldier think he was? _Maybe I'll teach him a thing or two_. His face remained expressionless as he strode proudly towards the raven-haired soldier. As he drew near, three women behind the soldier caught his attention. Instead of confronting Van, he simply him aside and looked carefully at the three women. Strange…

"You're wearing strange clothes," Dilandau pointed out bluntly. "Where are you from?" He asked in a more commanding tone. Emma could feel her heart race and slowly tried to inch her way behind her friends. Myranda looked Dilandau up and down, sizing him up. _I could take him on_, she thought to herself. Brodie however was completely lost in his eyes. Were they real she asked herself and that that hair, she wanted to reach out and touch it. Slowly her hand began to rise but fell promptly as she felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand belonged to none other than Allen.

He drew in a breath and felt horrible for what he was about to say but he had no choice. "I see you noticed my new lovers. I found them in the east. Emma, Myranda and Brodie." Allen announced as he placed another hand on Brodie's other shoulder, then gentle placed a kiss on her cheek.

Brodie could feel her cheeks flush and slowly could feel a grin tug at her lips. _Hmmm…so I'm one of his lovers…maybe I should give them a bit of a show_. Casually she snaked her arm around Allen's waist but not before lightly squeezing his behind. She smiled slyly at Dilandau. Emma and Myranda weren't surprised in the least bit. They were surprised though that Brodie was showing an interest in a man like Allen. She was never a big fan of men with long hair but perhaps the long hair was giving her kinky ideas.

Dilandau looked away in disgust. "You live up to your reputation Allen." He spat. "I just hope you put the same effort into our provisions."

"I got a bad feeling about Allen…" Emma stated from her spot on the bed in the small, square room. The walls were plain off-white. The only exit was the door, which was guarded by a soldier on the other side. In the room itself there were only two beds, a pile of hay and a small wooden desk.

Van sat in the corner on he hay, katana in hand. He hated being not having any freedom and to top it off, he was locked in a room with three women he was not fond of in the least. Brodie laid sprawled across the other bed face down, lost in her thoughts. Myranda sat on the stone floor, also lost in her thoughts. Would her entire dream come true? So far had become real. That was proved by the fall of Fanelia and the resurrection of the armour called Escaflowne. She feared that the remainder of her dream would continue to become real. _If it does then Brodie and Emma will be…_Her thoughts trailed off.

"What do you mean?" Brodie asked.

"I dunno, I just got this feeling about him. It's like the Allen we see isn't the real Allen." Emma tried to explain.

"What?" Myranda asked, obviously not comprehending her friend.

"It's hard to explain! I just don't feel like I can trust him okay!" She let out a frustrated sigh and leaned against the wall. There was a long awkward silence in the air yet again. Myranda continued to look toward Van in a curious way. There was a certain aura about him that was alluring. He was hiding something; she could sense it. What is it though?

Brodie's mind went back and focused on both Allen and the general Dilandau. Was Allen serious when he claimed them as his lovers? Was he going to fuck them all? Or was it said to divert any attention they were getting? Her brows knitted together. All that thinking was giving her a headache. When the pain began to subside, she thought of Dilandau. He was certainly something else. _To bad he's the enemy. He's so damn hot. I wonder what he'd be like in bed…_

A soft knocking interrupted Myranda's thoughts. The strange thing was, it wasn't coming from the door. Her eyes drifted to the stone floor. She raised and eyebrow and slowly place her ear against the floor. To her surprise the knocked was coming from right beneath her! She quickly jumped to her feet and away from the spot where she was sitting.

The sudden movement caught everyone's eye. "Randa?" Emma asked. "What's…?"

"Something's under the-" The floor began to crack open and everyone was on their feet. From the newly formed hole came a short, plump old man. His small beady eyes searched the room. "Oh darn. Wrong room." Emma's eyes widened. It was the same old man that had attacked her in the forest.

"Him again." She breathed. _I thought Allen said he had taken care of him…_

As it turned out, the old man was a petty thief who was looking for a way out of the fort. Van gladly jumped at the chance of escaping and being able to reclaim his Escaflowne. Emma Myranda and Brodie followed. Their reasons were basically the same; they just wanted out of the room. Stay in there wasn't getting them home any faster.

The man, who went by the name of Mr. Mole, led the group through a series of tunnels under the fort which he had created on other occasions when he has been caught by Allen or one of the other soldiers. "I apologize for attacking last night. The little Lady's jewel caught my eye. I was hoping that returning this bag would help." The mole man searched through the large sac on his back and pulled put a navy blue gym bag.

"I thought this was left in Fanelia…" Emma mused.

It didn't take long for the group to find the guymelef storage house. Rows of guymelefs and melefs, which were smaller versions of guymelefs, sat proudly in their holdings. Van walked ahead of the group, anxious to be reunited with his armour. His gloomy eyes brightened as the light of the hit his armour, his Escaflowne.

"Ah…Escaflowne…" the mole man looked in awe at the glorious armour. "Ispano is it not?" Van ignored Mr. Mole and climb into his suit of armour. Very soon he'd be back in Fanelia, very soon.

But, just as it seemed all was well, the doorway to the out side opened. The blinding sunlight beamed in. When their eyes adjusted to the intense light, they could see another guymelef standing in the way. Moments later the air was filled with the sounds of gears turning and some clicking noises. The cockpit opened to reveal none other than the heavenly knight Allen.

"Van, I told you not to leave the fort." Allen scolded. "If you dare to do so, you must go through me." Van grinned at the challenge. Since their first meeting he badly wanted a rematch.

The two guymelefs moved out of the storage house and prepared to fight. Both had their massive swords drawn, ready to attack. A crowd quickly developed and, only naturally, the men began to place bets on how long it would take for the great Allen to defeat to scrawny king.

"Do you think he stands a chance?" Myranda asked her friends.

"Who? Van? I doubt it. Allen is a knight so he has experience. Van's new to it." Myranda raised a brow.

"How can you tell that Van's new to it?" Emma looked at her friend, holding back a chuckle.

"He got the armour just yesterday and you saw how he fought-"

"They were invisible-"

"But even so, he looked like he didn't know what he was doing"

"Will you two shut up." Brodie interrupted. "They're about to start fighting!" She pointed out while pointing at the two guymelefs. "We all know Van's gonna lose." Van barely heard they three girls but he did hear what Brodie had said. He would make sure he wouldn't lose, not again to him. He took a step back in the Escaflowne and gripped his sword tightly.

The unexpected movement of the ground sent Brodie stumbling backwards. Damn heels, she cursed, certain that she would fall on her ass. To her surprise she was caught. She looked to see who it was. She recognized him; he was Allen's right hand man. _Damn, what's his name. Gordie? Greg? Gaddy? No…Gaddes!_ "You should be more careful." He said, helping her regain her balance.

"Th-thanks" She stuttered. Emma and Myranda giggled as they watched Brodie's cheeks begin to flush.

Another large thud brought the girls attention back to the fight. Van had lost balance in the Escaflowne and had fallen backwards. Allen held his sword pointed at the cockpit of the Escaflowne. He had once again become the victor in their battle. "It's over. Come out of your guymelef." Allen announced. Van gritted his teeth and hesitantly opened the door to the cockpit. He stood up and held his head low. He had let Balgus down.

Myranda walked towards the fallen guymelef. She wasn't sure what it was, she just felt drawn towards it. She looked deep into the red jewel on the breastplate of the Escaflowne. Images of Van slicing his thumb and placing the strange dragon jewel into it ran through her mind. _Why am I…_her eyes widened as she heard Emma scream.

Emma fell to her knees; her entire body was shaking. "Emma!" Myranda shouted and ran over to her friend.

"Fire…everything…enemy…everyone…dead…" Emma's voice quivered.

A/N: That was one bloody long chapter and my fingers are bleeding. Well, not really but they hurt! The reason it took me so long to update is, well there's more than one reason, lol! Okay, the first is that things in life have been really crappy. A guy I went to school with died, my close friend(Meave) turned her back on me when I needed her(she also chose drugs over me), then school was becoming very stressful and I was under a lot of pressure, then my now ex-friend was saying shit about me over the net and couldn't keep her fucking nose out of my life. It's just been a really bad roller coaster ride. Now it's summer and I should have more time to write and I'll be in better spirits too. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon okies!


	4. Ch 4: Chaos

Chapter 4: Chaos

* * *

"Emma!" Brodie shouted and ran to her friend's aid. "Dude, what's wrong?" Emma stared at the ground almost mindlessly. What was it she just saw? A vision of the future? She closed her eyes for a moment and shook off the thought. _Please don't be…_her mind begged. She didn't want to see any more people die.

"What's the matter Emma?" She raised her head to meet with a set of blue eyes full of concern. "Emma?" Allen repeated.

"Everything's gonna burn. I saw it. The invisible things that attacked Fanelia are gonna attack the fort!"

"What? Again?" Myranda looked in disbelief. She had heard her friend's exact same words before_. I guess my whole dream will come true. No…Emma and Brodie will…_

Allen Took Emma's hands in his own and helped her to her feet. "Perhaps seeing two guymelefs fight was too much for you." Emma shot him a look of horror mixed with disbelief. Had he not heard a single word that she had said? She instantly pulled her hands out of his and backed away, shaking her head.

"It wasn't _'too'_ much for me. I've seen a lot worse things in my life. This wasn't _too_ much!" She barked at him. "I saw it. Those things are gonna attack. You don't stand a chance against them."

"Em-" Allen began but was quickly cut off.

"Fine, believe what you want. But don't come crying to me when it does happen!" With that said Emma ran off. Allen went to follow but was stopped abruptly by Myranda who had grabbed him by his white, puffy sleeve.

"Leave her alone." She growled before looking to Brodie and telling her to follow Emma. Brodie nodded and tried her best to catch up to her friend. Myranda let go of Allen's arm and glared at him. "You may not believe her but we do. Especially me." Allen was lost for words. _These women are strange_, he thought, _no woman on Gaea would ever raise their voice like that. They really aren't of this world…_

"Boss!" A soldier on horseback yelled as he approached the knight.

"What is it Teo?"

"We caught someone suspicious out in the forest." Teo answered.

The suspicious prisoner turned out to be none other than Merle, Van's long time companion. She gave Van the devastating news of Fanelia's condition. Everything had been destroyed. Fanelia was no more. Van held the cat in a tight embrace. Merle was now all he had left.

* * *

"Emma!" Brodie shouted through the corridor. _Where the hell is she?_ "Emma!" she yelled again. "Em-"She stopped as her mosey green eyes caught Emma's figure. She was sitting on a bed in a rather empty looking room. Her head was tilted towards the sky, looking out the window at the two moons. Brodie entered the room quietly and sat beside her friend.

"I want to go home." Emma sighed and relaxed her tense shoulders. Brodie placed her arm around her shoulders for some comfort.

"I know…I want to go back too."

"Brodie, you said you had a dream about this place too right?" Brodie nodded in response. "What happened in you dream?" Emma leaned onto her friend and rested her head on Brodie's shoulder.

"Well…I don't remember much but I do remember seeing Fanelia being destroyed. I also remember seeing Myranda falling and-"

"A winged guy saves her." Emma finished. Brodie stiffened and raised her brows. "What else Brodie?"

She shook her head slightly and tried to remember more of it. "I dreamt that you were-" She paused for a moment. Should she tell Emma what she really did see? That she saw her being captured by strange creatures?

"I was?"

_I wont, she already has a lot to worry about_, she decided. "You were walking away from me. You didn't say anything and just walked away." She looked at her friend was saddened eyes. _I'm sorry…_ Emma turned to face Brodie and pulled her into a light embrace. A sad smile crept to Brodie's lips. She wished this, Gaea, was just a dream. The future was looking grim and the fate of her friends didn't look so good either.

Breaking the silence, a soft knock came from the door. Brodie opened her eyes and turned her head to see who it was. "Lunch is being served in the mess hall now if you're hungry." Gaddes informed.

Brodie looked to Emma and asked, "You wanna go eat?" Emma shook her head. "Do you think you'll be fine here alone? Cuz I'm kinda hungry."

"Just go, I'll be okay." Emma answered, pulling away from the embrace.

"You sure?" Emma nodded. "Alright, if you say so." Brodie got from her spot and followed Gaddes.

Emma laid back on the bed, looking back up at the sky. _Home…_she though.

* * *

Allen walked through the fort in solitude. He felt a bit of guilt for the way he treated Emma. But how was he to know how to deal with what she was saying? Fortune-tellers were a rare thing on Gaea and woman like Emma, Myranda and Brodie we even more rare. He wanted to find her and apologize; he was a knight after all.

* * *

Myranda walked slowly through the empty corridor. _Nothing in this world makes sense…_she thought. Well it did, but, not much. Her mind kept wandering back to her dream. She could remember so clearly. There was a city engulfed in flames; Fanelia. Brodie was whisked away by a strange cloaked figure. Emma was also capture by strange cloaked figures as well. In her dream there was nothing she could do to help them. Then even she almost fell to her own death. She was saved by a winged man.

The dream didn't get any better after that. She may have been saved but there was plenty of turmoil still to come. She witnessed other cities crumble to the ground as they became battlefields to an unknown war. She feared the most for her friends' safety. She couldn't bear the thought of losing them. They were her family, or the closest thing she had ever come to knowing as family. She shook away the painful memories of her past and picked up her pace.

* * *

Allen came to a halt as he spotted Emma lying peacefully on a cot. The sun beamed through the small window, creating a sort of golden aura around Emma. He paused at the doorway for a moment before entering the room.

The light footsteps of his boots brought Emma back to her senses. She turned her head to see whom it was. When she saw Allen approaching, she turned her head away from him. She was still angry at him for making her feel like a child.

"I just want to apologize about earlier." Allen spoke in a soft tone. Emma simply rolled her eyes as she tried to ignore his presence. Allen sighed and sat down of the edge of the small bed. "You have to understand Emma that people with your sort of ability aren't very common here on Gaea."

"Do you think I care?" Emma spat at him. "Just go. I want to be alone."

Allen didn't move. His eyes stayed transfixed on the blonde. He was drawn in by her mysterious nature. Also, he couldn't just leave a woman when she was feeling down. It would have been un-knightly of him. "You miss your homeland." He concluded. He noticed she was staring up the sky for quite some time.

"Yes." Emma replied simply. She missed everything. Even the things she thought she wouldn't miss. She missed hearing her mother yell at her for not cleaning the kitchen, she missed debating with her father about politics, she even missed fighting with her older brother over minuscule things. She missed it all. "I miss them all…"

* * *

Myranda grabbed a plate of food and sat beside Brodie in the mess hall. The food didn't look too appealing but food was food. Brodie didn't care about the strange taste, she was hungry. Myranda however ate her meal slowly. _Getting use to this food wont be easy_, Myranda thought as she played with her food.

"Where's Emma?" Myranda asked.

"Sleeping I think. I found her after she ran off. She just wants to be alone."

"Brodie…"Myranda began. She wanted to talk to her friend about their dreams, see if there were any connections.

"Yea?"

"You had a dream about this place right?" Brodie nodded as she ate another spoon full of the green mushy food from her plate. "Did you see anything about Emma?" Brodie nodded again and swallowed her food.

"Yea, Emma got captured by some people. You were falling-"

"Yea I know, and some guy saves me." She paused before continuing. "Did anything happen to you in your dream?" Brodie chewed her food slowly as she thought hard about the dream. She couldn't quite remember.

"I think…someone grabbed me…Then I woke up." Myranda looked back at her food. _So we will be separated…but when?

* * *

_

Allen rode his white stallion around the fort as he observed the preparations for battle. "Looks like you believe he old wives' tales too, commander."

Allen looked over his shoulder to face Gaddes, his right hand man. "What makes you say that?"

"These emergency combat preparations for one. What that girl from the Mystic Moon said has you worried, huh?" Allen looked away and gazed off into the horizon.

"What has me worried is Dilandau. His eyes, they thirst for blood and have a crazed gleam to them."

Gaddes's eyes widened. "You don't think Ziabach's—gonna attack us, do you?"

"They know the Escaflowne is here. That's why they showed up. When they do attack, they'll come at us to wipe us out." Allen clenched his fist to suppress his anger.

"They'd go that far?"

"I wouldn't put it past them. No survivors means no witnesses." Allen looked over his should again to face Gaddes. "Prep the crusade."

"Yes sir!" With that said Gaddes rode off in a hurry. _When will you attack Dilandau?

* * *

_

Emma, after lying on the cot for quite a few hours, finally decided to find her friends. She wandered the halls unsure of where she was going. _I should have left with Brodie. I'm completely lost_. She sighed heavily as she continued to walk. An open door gave her a bit of hope. She crossed her fingers as she approached the door. _Even if they aren't there maybe someone can help me_.

She peered into the room. No sign of Myranda or Brodie. There was, however someone sitting on the bed. Emma raised a brow as she quickly looked the young girl over. _Is that Merle? When did she get here?_

"Can I help you?" The young cat-girl spat.

"Uh….um…do you know where my friends might be?" she asked nervously. Merle sat there silently, her eyes examining the foreigner. _What weird clothes…_ "I take that as a no…" Emma said, slowly backing out of the room.

"Emma!"

Emma jumped at the sound of her name and turned on her heel. "Myranda!" her voice squeaked. "Don't do that!" she scolded and hit her friend on the shoulder. "Where the hell have you been?"

* * *

Brodie walked down the dimly lit hallways. Myranda had gone off to look for Emma. They would later meet up in their temporary living quarters. The air was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop if one was to be dropped. The eerie silence made Brodie feel uncomfortable. She looked over her shoulder; behind her was still just an empty hall. _Okay, no need to get freaked out. There's nothing there_.

She continued on her way but stopped abruptly. Something way coming. She could sense it. Her heart began to quicken its beat. "Hello?" she called. All that she got was her own echo. She took a step forward and stopped again. Her eyes widened as images began flashing through her mind. The fort was engulfed in flames. The cries of the soldiers falling to an unknown enemy filled her ears. _No!_ Her eyes snapped shut. She didn't want to see it.

Cautiously she opened her eyes. It was gone. The images she saw had left her. _Was…was that what Emma saw?_ She ran down the hall way as fast as she could in her heeled boots. She could feel the enemy's presence. They were very close.

Just as she reached for the doorknob to their room, the ground began to tremble. "They're here…" she said to herself before opening the door.

* * *

Myranda and Emma sat cosily on the cot in their room. Van had shown up and things became quite awkward so the two left the room where Merle was. Now they sat waiting for Brodie to show.

"So when did Merle get here? I thought she was in Fanelia."

"She escaped and searched for Van. She was found this afternoon just after you ran off. Fanelia was completely destroyed…"The two fell silent as they reminisced of their short time in Fanelia. Such a sad end to a beautiful little country. Myranda's eyes widened, she could feel the enemy's presence. "They're-" she stopped as the door opened. Brodie stood in the doorway, her breathing was slightly laboured.

* * *

Not too long after Brodie entered the room, Gaddes showed up. The enemy had begun its attack. The fort wouldn't stand a chance against such a power army. Their only choice was to flee. Gaddes led the three girls to an underground cave located beneath the fort. Brodie looked in awe at the strange ship before her.

"What is it…?" She wondered aloud as she and her friends boarded.

"This is the levi ship Crusade." Gaddes answered.

"Levi ship?" Emma repeated, she too was mesmerized by the strange ship.

"It uses levi stones to keep it afloat." The response came from a familiar voice.

"This thing floats?" Brodie said in amazement. "Awesome!" Merle raised a brow.

"You've never seen a levi ship before?" Brodie shook her head in response to the cat's question. "I'm glad I don't live on the Mystic Moon, you're probably all old fashioned I bet."

Emma's lip twitched at the comment. How wrong she was. "Actually, our technology is far more advanced than this. We have a different version of your _levi ships_. They're called airplanes. Although they look quite different than this. They also don't use stone to keep them in the air…" Emma explained. She enjoyed being a bit of a-know-it-all, even if she didn't know it all.

Merle stuck her tongue out and turned on her heel to face away from the girls. She looked around the bridge of the ship and noticed someone missing, someone whom was of extreme importance to her. "Where's Lord Van?" she asked worried.

"We'll meet up with the boss and the king shortly." Gaddess answered while checking the gages. "Weight Anchor!" he yelled. Another one the crew repeated the order. "Sail out!" and with that said, the air ship took flight.

* * *

A/N: I know, it's been like FOREVER and I'm really sorry. I've been in such a writing rut, busy with school, had my heart broken, got into yet another fight with a friend so yea…..BUT life is starting to look up. For how long? I don't know. Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter The next chapter is when things start to change and move away from the original story/plot. 


	5. Ch 5: Curiosity Killed the Cat

Chapter 5: Curiosity Killed the Cat

Van held on for dear life as Allen leapt off the cliff in his guymelef, the Scherazade. His timing was surprising perfect. The guymelef landed atop the airship Crusade, which emerged from behind the waterfall.

The Ziabach guymelefs weren't far behind. They had a mission and were willing to do whatever it took to achieve it. They knew Allen was hiding the Dragon. The soldiers set their guymelefs into flight mode and ambushed the fleeing airship.

Allen tried as best as he could to fight the enemy off. Even though he was clearly out numbered, he wasn't willing to give up so easily. He was a night of _Cali_ and had to live up to the title, even if it meant his life would come to an end.

The three girls watched in fear from the ship's bridge. Were they going to die? Emma clutched her pendent and prayed that they'd make it out alive. She didn't want to die. She, and her friends, were too young to die. They had a whole life ahead of them that they wanted to live. As she clutched the pendent, she failed to notice the slight red glow emanating from the stone.

Van watched the battle with saddened eyes. Allen, his men, Merle and the three nuisances were all in danger because of him. The enemy had no business with the others. Allen's words echoed in his mind _"Samurai exist to save people's lives."_ He inhaled deeply and jumped down to the loading bay of the ship.

"Van!" Allen yelled in confusion. "What the hell are you doing?"

Van didn't reply and simply jumped into the cockpit of his guymelef. He walked the Escaflowne to the edge of the bay. The old texts better be right about this, he thought. He extended his arms and fell forward, much to everyone's horror.

However, he didn't fall to his death as everyone thought. As the guymelef fell it began to change shape. It transformed into a dragon.

Myranda watched in amazement. It was mesmerizing.

Van flew the dragon upward, grinning slightly. He could feel a dragon wind approaching. He didn't dare look back, it would ruin his concentration instantly. He knew he had a better chance of escaping if he was able to catch the wind.

"Lord Van…"Merle looked on, cerulean blue eyes full of concern. "What is he doing?"

"It looks like he's helping us escape…" Myranda mused.

"No! We have to turn around!" The cat turned to the ship's captain, Gaddes and begged him to turn around and follow.

"Sorry kiddo, we can't. The sails are too damaged." Merle backed away distraught.

"No…" she collapsed to her knees. "Lord Van…"

* * *

Eventually they were able to turn the airship around, but with much difficulty. They surveyed the landscape looking for anything that would leave them to Van. "Flames…I see flames!" Pyle shouted as he gazed through the periscope. Everyone moved towards the glass windows and looked at the ground below. Allen didn't have a good feeling about it.

"Are there any melef remains?" Allen asked.

"I don't see any." Pyle responded.

"Did they…"Merle's voice trailed off as she thought of the unthinkable.

"No, they wont kill Van. If I remember correctly, only he king of Fanelia can pilot the Escaflowne.

"So boss," Gaddes began. "What do you think?" Allen scratched his chin as he thought.

"How many are we?" he asked.

"Seven, including myself."

"A frontal assault would be foolish…but we need to find them first."

Myranda glanced from the burning field to Emma. She had been listening to the conversation between Allen and his comrade. _Emma could probably help, if she decides to be a woman and offer_. However, Emma remained silent. Myranda read her friend's body language and knew she was itching to say something.

"Emma could help find Van." Emma's eyes widened.

"Myranda!"

"Well you could. Do the pendent thingy…you know when you close your eyes and-"

"It's a nice gesture." Allen interrupted. "But this is a job for us knights." Emma's eyes narrowed. She didn't like the tone Allen took with her. She wasn't just some weak woman and she would prove it.

"Test me!" she blurted out. Her heart raced, she couldn't believe what she was saying. "Let me….I'll do a reading and then you can decide if I'm good enough to help." Myranda smiled as she watched her friend. _There's the Emma I know_.

Allen looked at the young blonde slightly confused. There was definitely more to her than what meets the eye.

* * *

Emma unwrapped the neatly fold black that covered her deck of tarot cards. Her hand shook. She had never felt so nervous. No, she had, she corrected herself. The nervous feeling was very similar to how she felt when she woke up in the nurse's office and was completely alone with Andrew. Her cheeks flushed as she thought of him. He's so gorgeous…

Myranda, Brodie and Merle sat on the only bench in the room. All watching the two sitting at the table, waiting for Emma to begin. Gaddes sat alone in a chair to Allen's right. He let out a yawn. He didn't have high expectations for whatever it was Emma was going to do. _How could a bunch of cards predict one's past, present and future?_

"Here." She held out the deck towards Allen. "Shuffle them until you think they're ready." He raised a brow and hesitantly took the cards. He did as she instructed. After shuffling a few times he handed the deck back to her.

Emma closed her eyes and began to draw the cards. _Seven of Wands…conflict and chaos_. She glanced up at Allen then back at the card. "There was conflict and chaos in your past. Conflict within your family or people who were close to you…there was much confusion as to who was the person to blame…" She trailed off, bit her lip and drew the next card. _Two of Swords…_ "The pain of the conflict and chaos that happened still haunts you in the present. You feel responsible partially for what happened."

Emma paused and went to draw the next card. _Am I right? He's giving me no feedback_. "Is any of this making any sense?" she asked nervously.

"Yes…continue." She felt relieved_. Okay, I can do this_. She drew the next card. _Four of Wands…_Her brows knitted together as she looked over the other cards, trying to connect them all together.

"You'll…you'll be reunited with some people who were apart of the chaos and conflict…" _but what else?_ She wondered and drew another card. _Nine of Swords…_ "You'll deny the truth…you wont want to listen to them because you…" she glanced over the cards again. "Your hate and anger for them is so strong that you only believe what you think is true…" _Should I draw another?_ She went to draw again, her hand shaking more than before.

Allen grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Thank you Emma, that's enough."

"Was anything-" Allen placed a map down on the table.

"You passed. Now find Van." Emma smiled and slouched back in her seat as relief washed over her.

* * *

After a short break Emma got to work. She held her pendent in her hand and slowly moved her outstretched hand across the map. She tried to picture Van in her mind. As time passed, both Gaddes and Allen began to lose hope in whatever Emma was trying to do. Allen tried to keep an open mind. She was quite accurate with her reading. But perhaps it was just a fluke.

"Do you want to take another break?" Allen asked. Emma shook her head.

"Is there anything we can do?" Merle asked. She didn't enjoy sitting and doing nothing.

"Well…I guess, just picture Van in your mind. Focus on him and only him…" Emma inhaled deeply, this was really using up a lot of her energy. Keeping a clear mind wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. Especially under their circumstances.

Emma felt a tug on the pendent and let her hand follow the energy. When the tugging ceased she opened her eyes and looked at the map. "It's there." A few images of Van laying unconscious in a small room flashed through her mind. He was definitely there.

"The wandering earth?" Brodie said as she read the label on the map. "What's that?"

"It's where the levi stones collect." Allen informed. "And the perfect place to hide a floating fortress." He stood up and turned to Gaddes. "Give the orders."

"Aye captain!" Gaddes replied and quickly left the room.

While Allen and his comrades were off saving Van, Myranda, Emma and Brodie did whatever they could to occupy themselves. Brodie began going through Emma's bag looking for anything of interest. "Shorts, dress shirt, cleats, shin guards…" she listed the items from the bag as she took them out. "Em, your bag is boring…" she whined.

Emma pulled her bag towards her and began to go through it. "I think……I have a deck of cards somewhere…" Merle's eyes widened as Emma emptied her bag out.

"What is this junk?" She asked as she went through the items strewn across the floor.

"Ah-ha!" Emma exclaimed and held up the deck of cards. "What do you guys wanna play? Crazy 8's? Spoons? Go Fish?"

"Crazy 8 count down sounds good to me." Answered Myranda who then proceeded to take the deck of cards and shuffled them before dealing them. "Wanna play Merle?" she asked, noticing the intrigued look on the cat's face.

"Nah, I'm having too much fun going through Emma's things."

Emma looked over her shoulder at Merle. With narrowed eyes she asked, "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." The cat answered, grinning. Emma rolled her eyes and went back to playing the card game.

"I wonder how things are going…" Myranda wondered aloud as she drew a card from the top on the deck. "Emma, go." She sighed.

Emma sat completely still. "Emma?" Brodie poked her friend in the shoulder. "Hello? Anyone-" Emma jumped to her feet, startling her friends.

"Emma? What's-"

"Uhhh…I…saw Van…" Merle took immediate interest.

"What about Lord Van!" Emma looked at Merle with saddened eyes. She couldn't tell her what she saw. It was too horrific. She ran past the cat out of the room. Myranda and Brodie sat in confusion and followed.

Emma entered the guymelef-loading bay. She walked to the edge, her eyes widened as she realized the huge gap between the airship and the floating fortress. "Shit…" she breathed. _How am I…?_ Quickly she looked around for anything she could use to get herself across. "There has to be something…"

"Blondie, what the hell! What about Lord Van?" Merle demanded as she firmly grabbed Emma's shoulders.

"I need to get across. Is there anything I can use?" Emma had to avoid the question. She didn't want to repeat what she saw.

"Hey!" Merle yelled as Emma broke free of her grasp. _There's gotta be something…_ "Why don't you jump?" Merle suggested.

"Why don't **you** jump!" Emma snapped back. "Ah-ha! This should do the trick!" Emma grabbed the rolled up rope and quickly carried it to the edge. She unravelled the rope and made sure the anchor attached was secure.

"Emma!" Myranda shouted. "What the hell?" Emma began to swing the end with the anchor in a clockwise motion. "Emma, what-" When the rope reached a good enough speed, Emma let go. _Please work…_ The anchor soared across the gab and attached itself firmly to a beam on the fortress. Emma tugged on the rope, making sure it would give way. "Em-"

"I saw something. Van's in danger." Before anyone could utter a word, Emma ran and swung herself to the fortress. She landed successfully, much to the surprise of every, including herself. _It actually worked!_ She grinned from ear to ear.

"So…what do we do now?" Brodie asked.

"Explore." Myranda answered back. Brodie shrugged her shoulders slightly and followed her friend out of the bay.

* * *

"Randa, what do you think is in these bottles?" Brodie asked, picking up one of the many glass bottles filled with some sort of clear liquid. She pulled the cork out of it and took a sniff.

"My best guess is alcohol." Merle stood in the doorway, suppressing her laughter. She was going to enjoy what was yet to come.

"They're just volaka; a highly alcoholic drink. Lord Van drinks it occasionally." Merle informed.

"Volaka?" Myranda repeated and looked at the bottle. _I guess a few shots wouldn't hurt… _"Brod-" Myranda turned to Brodie only to find her downing an entire bottle.

"I can't taste the alcohol…" Brodie stated before letting out a relatively loud belch. Merle's jaw dropped and her eyes were wide with shock.

"Idiot! You're not supposed to drink that much!"

Brodie looked at Merle, who in her eyes was beginning to grow an extra head. "What the…" She shook her head in disbelief. "What…is…this…stuff…"

"Brodie…you okay?"

"Whoa…there's two of you…"

"Merle," Myranda turned to the cat worried. "What is this stuff."

"Volaka. Or it could be vodaka…"

"And the difference is?"

"Vodaka is a hallucinogen."

"AHHHHH!" Brodie screamed. Myranda and Merle turned to see what was wrong. "Get them away!" She screamed and jumped onto a chair.

Merle and Myranda tried desperately to keep Brodie under control until Allen and the others returned. However, because Brodie had drank such a large amount the effects wouldn't wear off until morning. She ran around the airship Crusade screaming at the top of her lungs, "The leprechauns are after me!" or very similar cries.

No one could have prepared to handle Brodie, especially in her state. When Allen retuned to his ship, he was tackled by Brodie. She clung to him with dear life. "Get them away!" she cried. Allen held Brodie, looking very confused. Before he could even ask what was the matter, a very exhausted Myranda and Merle ran into the loading bay.

"She…" Merle took in a deep breath before continuing. "She drank an entire bottle of Vodaka…" her tired legs gave way and she fell to her knees.

Allen's eyes widened. "An entire bottle?"

"She thinks leprechauns are chasing-" Brodie screamed yet again when she heard Myranda mention leprechauns.

"Get them away!" she cried. Allen held onto her tightly so she couldn't run off. He turned to Gaddes and gave him an order to land the ship as soon as possible. They needed to find some stabilizing herbs to over power the effects of the Vodaka.

However, once they landed Brodie made a run for it. Myranda and Emma tried to keep up but it was a lost cause. Brodie was running through the thick forest, convinced she was being chased by leprechauns.

Allen and his men carefully searched the forest. After searching for a few hours and after receiving word that Ziabach soldiers were in the area, Allen made the painful decision to stop the search. They would head to the capital, Palas, and speak to the king of the attack on the fort. If luck was on their side, Brodie would have been caught by Austerian soldiers and taken to Palas.

Myranda and Emma weren't ready to give up searching. Allen worked his charms and tried to convince them that they would most likely find Brodie in Palas.

* * *

A/N: BOOYA! Another chapter done! I'm quite proud of myself I'm hoping you're all enjoying it. Now do you see how this is moving away from the original plot? Slowly but surely it's moving away. Lots more changes are in store for the next couple of chapters as well. If you wish to be e-mailed when I update, just ask me or leave you e-mail addy. 


	6. Ch 6: Blonde Bimbos and Crazed Killers

Chapter 6: Blonde Bimbos and Crazed killers

The sun rose over the mountains, marking the start of a new day. The airship Crusade landed in the Austerian port in its capital, Palas, a city embraced by the ocean and the many canals that flowed through it.

The crew of the Crusade disembarked with large, toothy grins. They were home and away from danger, for the time being. "I'm gonna live it up tonight!" Reeden exclaimed.

Merle attached herself to Van's arm and stared in awe at the vast ocean. "It's…..beautiful…."she managed to utter. For the both of them, it was the first time they had seen the ocean.

Emma inhaled the salty sea air deeply. As childhood memories flooded her mind, a small smile tugged at her lips. They faded quickly as she came back to reality. Saddened blue eyes drifted skyward to her home.

Myranda stood casually by her friend and took in her surroundings. The city before her was breath taking. She felt as if had literally walked into novel. It was so picturesque and serene.

"Allen!" a young woman's voice called out cheerfully. Everyone's attention was brought to the blonde beauty, riding atop an obviously well breed mare, Myranda noted. She dismounted gracefully and stood politely by her horse, gently stroking its neck.

Allen stepped forward with slight confusion on his face. "Princess, what are you doing dressed like that?" He questioned, gesturing at her pink and black riding attire.

She smiled and let out a giggle. "Did you expect me to ride my horse in a dress?"

"Of course not Princess."

Emma leaned towards Myranda and whispered to her, "Well she definitely fits the princess profile. Blonde, pretty, _innocent_. It's enough to make me sick." Myranda raise a brow.

"Emma, you're blonde and innocent."

"I am not!" Emma bit her lip once she had realized how loud she had said that.

Millerna watched Allen ride off towards the castle on her horse, which she had lent him. He was perfect, flawless. _If only father could see that…_she mused before turning her attention to Allen's crew.

"It's a pleasure to have you here new king of Fanelia." Van forced a smile.

"The pleasure is mine." He responded through the fake smile. Myranda and Emma suppressed the urge to laugh. The never imagined _Scrawny Vannie_ could speak so formally and force such a believable smile at the same time.

"Well, we should head back to the castle. You two, could you carry Allen's things." Emma and Myranda looked at each other.

"Us?" Myranda asked.

"Yes, you two." Millerna confirmed.

"They're not handmaidens." Van announced, much to the dislike of Merle.

"Oh my, I'm sorry. It's just you're clothes are strange and I assumed-"

"Wrong." Myranda finished.

Millerna was shocked at the redhead's behaviour. No one had ever dared to interrupt her, excluding her father and other relatives. She kept her composure; she was after all the princess of Austeria and future queen. "Palas has many different inhabitants, I just have never seen anyone dressed quite like you two."

Merle giggled, "That's an insult, even to handmaidens." Emma shot a deadly glare at the cat.

"So whereabouts are you from?"

"Ummm…." Myranda began and looked to Emma. Both were lost for words. Where were they to say they were from? The Mystic Moon? Fanelia? Or make up some tiny, fictional village?

"They're with me." Merle's eyes widened. Why was her Lord Van saying such lies?

"No, they're-" Merle tried to correct but was stopped abruptly by a cold stare from Van.

"They're from Fanelia?" Millerna questioned. Van confirmed it with a yes.

_What's gotten into him?_ Myranda wondered.

* * *

When Brodie awoke the following morning, a strange sensation lingered through her body. A quiet groan escaped her lips as she rolled over onto her other side. _What was that shit we drank? _She wondered as her mosey green eyes fluttered open. They widened instantly. There, laying beside her was someone she didn't expect to see. 

His pale skin looked ghostly white against black silk sheets and pillows. A few loose strands of silver hair fell across his face. As she continued to examine the man laying beside her, she came to realize something. She knew who he was! _Dilandau…_

She looked over his stunning face and found something she didn't recall seeing before. Covering his right cheek was a blood stained bandage. _I wonder what happened_. Carefully she reached out and tucked the stray hairs behind his ear so she could get a better overall look.

_Wait a minute, this is Dilandau. Didn't he burn Fanelia? And didn't he attack that fort? How the hell did I end up in bed with him?_ A slight sense of panic rushed through her mind and body.

Brodie inched her body away from him and began to sit up. As her eyes moved to the grey metallic floor, they widened yet again. Scattered across the floor was her clothing. Her eyes darted to her own body. Not a single piece of clothing was on her, not even her stockings.

She lifted up the silk bed sheet and noticed that she wasn't the only one who slept commando. She looked away and a grin tugged at her lips so she lifted the sheet again. _Not bad…_ she thought to herself as she looked at his southern parts.

The smile quickly faded from her face. She needed to get dressed and find her friends; wherever they may be. Carefully she slipped out of the bed, making sure not to wake Dilandau. She tiptoed across the floor, picking up her clothes and tried to dress herself quickly. _Where the hell are my fishnets?_ A soft groan sounded from the bed. Brodie turned quickly, a surge of panic rushed through her body.

A sigh of relief was felt when she saw he simply rolled onto his back, still fast asleep. As she turned away, something caught her eye. She glanced back at Dilandau. _Oh crap..._ she thought. Balled up in his hand were her black fishnet stockings. She bit her lip as she debated whether or not to try and retrieve her belongings.

Finally she made up her mind. She would risk it. She made her way over to the bed silently. Cautiously she pulled the stockings slowly from his loose grasp. _Please don't wake up!_ Her mind begged.

As she continued to pull her stocking free, Dilandau's grip tightened. "What do you think you're doing?"

Startled, Brodie hesitated to answer. "I'm... getting dressed." He sat himself up right, a sinister grin on his lips.

"Why so soon?"

"Huh? Oh... um... I, uh...feel cold." He smirked and ran a hand through his silver locks of hair.

"So you really are Allen's whore." He stated, grinning and looking down at the balled up stocking in his hand. "He has impeccable taste I might add." Brodie swallowed hard and tried to remember the previous night. It seemed no matter how hard she tried it remained a large blur. "Whereabouts did Allen pick you and the other whores up? I've never experienced sex like that before."

"What? We had sex?"

Dilandau looked at her and almost laughed. "Well, it was supposed to be a rape but you were so willing. You said something..."

"You can't rape the willing..." Brodie finished. "So, was it good?"

He finally let out his suppressed chuckle. "I'm very tempted to hunt down your friends to compare you're...skills and abilities." As he continued on speaking, Brodie slowly made her way towards the exit. When she could feel the metal door behind her, she tried to find the doorknob. It, however, was nonexistent. She glanced over her shoulder, _How the hell do I get out?_ Without realizing it, she turned her back completely to Dilandau and searched for an open button or something.

Powerful hands rested on her hips and slowly made their way up her sides. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. A smile tugged at her lips but quickly disappeared. Why did this feel so right? She knew nothing about him. All she knew was his name and that he was the enemy and so _...sexy_. The smile returned.

She turned to face him as his hands reached her breasts. She flung her arms around his neck and forced her lips on his. It all felt so right, even though it should have felt terribly wrong. She wanted him, whether he was willing or not.

Her aggressiveness aroused Dilandau. Finding such a woman was certainly his luck. _The gods must be smiling on me,_ he mused.

Passion burned in her. Her dream, or vision, had been true thus far. She knew she'd be spending a lot more time with the silver haired devil. _I might as well enjoy it. I know he's gonna._

_

* * *

_

Upon their arrival at the castle, Millerna ordered baths to be drawn for their guests. While the two strange girls were being cleaned up, she picked out a couple of gowns from her own closet for them to borrow. _At least now no one will mistake them for maids,_ she thought as she looked over her selection.

Emma was the first to emerge from her room fully dressed. She wore a simple white chemise with a soft blue bodice. Her arms donned pear white gloves and, much to her dislike, she wore a matching neckerchief.

"Wow...you're a girl..." Merle stated purposely to get a rise out of Emma.

"Maybe we should give you a nice cold bath or are you afraid of the water?" Merle's eyes narrowed and she hissed.

"I wonder what's taking your friend so long?" Millerna wondered and knocked on the door. "Do you need some assistance?"

"No...And I'm not coming out!"

Emma giggled and approached the door. "Myranda, it's okay. I'm sure you look fine." There was a long silence before Emma whipped the door open. Van's jaw dropped at the sight of her. She actually looked like a woman. The low cut bodice and shortened neckerchief enhanced her feminine features greatly. The bodice matched her long, thick locks of hair perfectly. Millerna smiled proudly. She had turned the two strangely dressed girls into well-dressed, feminine women.

"Nice knockers." Emma joked.

"Shut up and give me your neck thing." Emma laughed and shook her head. _Where's a camera when you need one?_

While the friends quarrelled, a maid gave Millerna a letter addressed from Allen, informing he wouldn't be able to escort her to the market. "Men, how unreliable. Well I don't see why we should have to wait." With that said, Millerna made her exit and was followed by Van, Merle, Emma and Myranda. As they made their way out of the castle, Van returned Emma her bag.

* * *

Brodie laid in the large bed, her legs entangled in the silk sheets. She couldn't stop herself from smiling. "So much better than Tyler..." she mumbled to herself. 

"Tyler?"

Her eyes widened slightly when she realized she had said that aloud. She turned to face Dilandau, smiling sweetly. "He's just an ex-boyfriend. He dumped me because I wanted too more sex in the relationship."

Dilandau chuckled, "He must be insane." He pulled her body close to his. She was simply irresistible. She was like uncharted territory, so foreign. His fingers caressed her bare skin teasingly. He was, however, still a bit disappointed that he didn't get to rape her. _It's always more enjoyable when there is a sense of fear, _he mused.

* * *

As they walked through the crowded market, Emma began to wonder if she did have a camera. _If I do have it I can take pics. Then I'd have definite proof that this place is real when I return home. No one would ever believe me if I only told them_. With that in mind, she searched her bag. Her eyes brightened as she pulled out her digital camera. _I was sure I left this at home…_

"Emma! Hurry up!" Myranda called. She didn't want to lose sight of her friend. She already lost one and wasn't exactly ready to lose another. Although she knew it would eventually happen.

"Coming!" Emma yelled back and pushed her way through the crowds of people and animal-like beings.

"Did you see something you liked?" Millerna asked Emma once she had rejoined their small group.

"No," she answered before turning to Myranda. "But look what I found!" She dangled the grey digital camera in front of Myranda who promptly grabbed it.

"Where did you-?"

"I found it in my bag."

"Awesome!" She turned it on and brought it up to here eye. "Say cheese!" Emma posed and smiled wide.

"What is-" Merle began but stopped abruptly when the flash went off.

Myranda and Emma chuckled as the watched Merle rub her eyes continuously. "What's this flashing white box?" Millerna asked as she examined the camera.

"It's a digital camera. You take pictures of people or things with it." Myranda explained.

"It's like an instant portrait." Emma added and took the camera out of Myranda's hands. She pressed a few buttons so that the picture Myranda took appeared on the small screen. "See. Here's the picture Myranda took." Emma proceeded to show Millerna and Merle the image.

"It's so real…" Merle said in awe.

"It's called technology." Emma informed.

Myranda froze where she stood. Images flooded her mind; disturbing images. _What the hell?_ She glanced around quickly. "Where's Van!" She asked, her eyes darting in all directions.

"I saw him run off towards the harbour. Why?" Millerna responded while gesturing in the direction of the harbour.

Myranda pushed and shoved her way through the crowds of people. She had an awful feeling lurking in the pit of her stomach. The vision didn't help much either. _Emma should have gotten this stupid vision! She can run better than me!_

"Myranda?" Emma went to follow her friend but was pushed aside by Merle who dashed after Myranda. "Shit!"

"Emma," Millerna grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her over to the stall she was looking at. "Aren't these gorgeous?"

"Yea, yea," she squirmed.

"Which do you think would look better on me?" Emma sighed in defeat. She had lost complete sight of both Myranda and Merle. _I hope you know what you're doing Myranda…

* * *

_

When Dilandau wasn't around, Brodie decided to explore her new surroundings. All she had seen was Dilandau's bedroom. She had been told her meals would be catered to her, which she didn't exactly mind. However, she needed to get out and explore.

She ventured out into the dimly lit hallway. She looked both ways and allowed her instinct to kick in. She picked a direction and began walking.

Every door she came across was closed. She tried to figure out how to open one of the doors but failed. There was a sort of keypad by the door. She tried punching in random numbers but none seemed to work.

As she continued on her journey through her new "home" she could hear her stomach begin to growl. How long had she been walking? She went to check her watch, only to discover she had left it in his room.

She wrapped her arms around her abdomen and continued to wander. As she wandered, her nose caught the sent of food cooking. It smelt absolutely delicious. Her mouth began to water. She followed the scent.

She soon found herself in the doorway to what appeared to be a cafeteria. The cooks were just finishing the preparations for the evening meal. The food was set out in a buffet style. Her mouth dangled open. _So much food…_

"Are ya just gonna stand thur?" one of the cooks asked in a slurred tone.

Brodie jumped slightly at the sound of the voice. "um…." The older woman rolled her eyes and handed her a plate.

"Dig in. Once dem boys show up, not much'll be left." She let out a chuckle and went back to the kitchen.

Mosey green eyes looked in awe at the mountains of food. Where would she begin? It all looked so strange but smelt so good. She walked up to the long table and piled the food onto her plate. Once it reached full capacity, she made her way over to one of the empty tables.

She immediately dove in. It all tasted odd but in a good sort of way. She was so focused with eating and figuring out what tasted like what to notice the male specimens who were beginning to appear.

"Who's the girl?" the tall, curly blonde asked.

"Dunno."

"It's the woman Miguel and Gatti found." Informed the longhaired brunette.

"Woman?"

"Yea, we found her running like a crazed maniac." Miguel pointed out. "She seems more…normal now. Before she was screaming something about leprechauns."

"She looks familiar," the young looking blonde stated.

"That's because she's apparently one of Sir Allen's mistresses." Gatti informed as he squeezed his way between two of the other soldiers to grab some grub.

"No way! She's one of his?"

"I wonder what happened to the other two. I thought the blonde was cute."

"You would Chesta." Miguel laughed.

"Just because I'm blonde doesn't mean anything!" He retorted. A few of the other soldiers joined in on the teasing of their comrade.

Miguel grabbed some food and made his way over to the mysterious woman. He took a seat beside her, startling her slightly. "You're beauty could surpass a goddess." He stated as he stared at her, grinning like a fool.

Brodie almost choked on her food. "W-what?" She wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly.

"You are the most gorgeous creature to grace this world." As he spoke, his hand found its way to her thigh.

Her eyes widened but didn't stop him. After all, he was cute and at least his line wasn't something cheesy like _"did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"_

"So where are your comrades?" Chesta asked, interrupting. Miguel withdrew his hand from her warm thigh and glared daggers at Chesta.

"Don't know." Brodie answered. "Probably still with Van and Allen and they could be anywhere."

"What a shame." Miguel stated. "Chesta here wanted to have his way with your blonde friend."

"I didn't!" Chesta yelled in defence, his face slowly turning red.

Brodie chuckled. "I don't know if you'd be Emma's type."

"Emma?" one of the slayers repeated.

"What's her type?" another asked, grinning slyly.

"Um…" She twisted a lock of her hair around her finger as she thought. "Well, she hate's shy guys, slobs, and prudes. I know she likes guys who are kinky and into BDSM."

"Kinky?"

"BDSM?" Her eyes widened.

"You don't know what…"they shook their heads. "Oh boy…um…kinky is anything that isn't, well, normally done during sex…like bondage! Tying one partner to the bed or blind folding them."

"And does everyone do that where you're from?" Miguel asked, looking very intrigued.

"Well, sorta. It's usually frowned upon by very traditional or religious people.

"Are you kinky?"

* * *

Millerna had dragged Emma to every single stall, jeweller, tailor and beautician her lavender eyes landed on. By the time they returned to the castle, Emma's feet ached from the afternoon abuse. The shoes Millerna had lent were anything but comfortable. But with the pain came the gain. Millerna more than willingly bought Emma some jewellery and a new gown. 

Emma was reunited with Myranda upon their return, much to her relief. "So, what happened?"

"It was really weird. I saw Van being killed. So I ran after him. When I finally caught up, he was standing on a bridge talking to this guy who he called his brother. He looked-"

"I know what he looks like." Emma interrupted.

"How?"

"I'll tell ya later. Continue."

"Okay…"Myranda raised a brow and continued with her story. "They talked and then I saw it. I ran and pushed Van out of the way. This metal spear type thing was this close to killing him!" She gestured with her fingers the distance. "So, um, how was your day?"

Emma blinked in disbelief. "Whoa…that was little bit close…but um, yea, I got dragged around by Millerna. It wasn't all too bad. I got a new dress out of it."

"Emma!" Emma cringed at the sound of the princess's voice. "Emma!" the door to her room swung open and in walked the princess. "You're not dressed yet?" she questioned.

"Not yet." Emma replied while forcing a smile.

"Well come on you two. My guests will be arriving soon."

Myranda looked to Emma, confusion written on her face. "She's having a dinner party thing. Bunch of air-headed, girly-girls like herself." Myranda rolled her eyes.

"Oh joy…"

"Yessum, we even picked out a dress for you." Emma teased.

"You are evil spawn of satan…" Myranda grumbled as they made their way to Millerna's living quarters.

"Myranda that dress looks stunning on you!" Millerna squealed in delight. Emma grinned from ear to ear. She had purposely picked out the crimson red gown with and extremely low décolletage.

"You couldn't find a dress with a higher neck? My boobs are gonna fall out!" Both Emma and Millerna giggled.

"You'll be fine," Millerna reassured. "Emma?"

"Yes?"

"Are you getting dressed?"

"Oh, um, yea…" Emma slowly made her way over to the changing screen, dress in hand. It didn't take nearly as long as Myranda had to get dressed. She had enough practice from all the gowns she had tried on in the afternoon. Putting on a bodice and a few petticoats was almost second nature.

She emerged from behind the changing screen, quite pleased with herself. The dress was relatively simple. The royal blue gown had a deep V-shaped décolletage, which according to Millerna flattered her not so large bust. At the waist, below the silk covered bodice, the dress split open to reveal her cream coloured petticoats.

* * *

Miguel pressed her body against the steel wall in the vacant corridor. Brodie explored his mouth using some techniques that both shocked and amazed him. She was certainly an exotic find. It was their luck that they had found such a wild and untamed beauty. She had no inhibitions. 

She snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Miguel, however pulled away quickly, eyes wide with fear. His luck had suddenly changed. Just as Brodie had drawn him near, his eye had caught sight of his commander. He knelt down on one knee and bowed his head.

"Miguel." The silver haired general growled.

"Please forgive me Lord Dilandau."

"Rise." He commanded and made his way over to the now standing Miguel. His blood red eyes narrowed as he hit his subordinate hard across the face, sending Miguel stumbling. A smile pulled at his lips. "You." He said, looking at Brodie, "Come."

* * *

A/N: sorry for taking so long, yet again. I'm really trying to update my stuff more often now. Well, I'm done high school forever now so I have lot's of free time. But come September I'll have less free time because of college. Hope you're enjoying this fic. As you can probably tell, things are beginning to move away from the series now. Even more changes will be in store for the next chapter. IF you want an e-mail when I update, just ask. I'm trying to make mailing lists for my fics. 


	7. Ch 7: Ballroom Drama

Chapter 7: Ballroom Drama

Dinner was served promptly on time. The food tasted like heaven. Neither had the two friends tasted such delicious food. Throughout the duration of the meal, Emma shifted uncomfortably. She could feel someone staring at her. When she looked to see who it was, she looked away quickly. Allen had his eyes on her. She was flattered but quite freaked out. He just wasn't her type.

As dinner came to an end, Emma excused herself and Myranda to _"powder their noses."_

"That was so good..." Emma stated as she and Myranda slowly walked down the hallway, headed back to the torture.

"I don't want to go back for the dancing." Myranda whined.

"Ah, c'mon! You know you wanna!" Emma said while tugging on Myranda's arm. "Hey! You should so ask Scrawny Vannie for a dance! You two would look so adorable!"

"Are you sick? I can't stand him!"

"Then why did you save his life?" Emma pointed out.

"Well…uh…I…"She was lost for words.

"Exactly." Emma grinned from ear to ear. "Here." She took off her pendant and held it out towards Myranda.

"What? Why?" she replied very confused.

"It goes better with your outfit. Plus it'll give Vannie a real reason to look at your breasts!" Myranda rolled her eyes and reluctantly put on the pendant.

"You have one messed up mind…" she grumbled at she clasped the necklace closed.

Emma smiled, "Thankies," she replied taking the insult as a compliment.

* * *

Upon their return, the girls noticed the tables had been moved aside and used as buffet tables for the wide array of desserts and drinks. The orchestra played soft but up beat music to lighten everyone's moods. A few of the guests had taken to the white marble dance floor. They glided across elegantly in a dance style they resembled a waltz. 

Emma spotted Van standing alone on the other side of the great hall, casually sipping a drink. She grinned and proceeded to elbow her friend in the side. "No!" Myranda hissed. "It's stupid and pointless."

"Just do it!" Emma snapped before leaving her Myranda's side.

"Em!" she frowned as she watched Emma make her way over to the punch bowl. She glanced over at Van and sighed in defeat. He did look a bit lonely and could probably use some company, she told herself as she approached him. "Hey," she said, catching his attention. "How's it going?" She asked trying to make some conversation.

"I'd rather be else where." He said, tugging at the white silk necktie Millerna had forced him to wear. "I can't stand these types of social gatherings." He took a sip of his drink, savouring the flavour before swallowing.

"Yea, same. Too many shallow, boy-crazed girls for me." A genuine smile pulled at his lips.

"Thanks for earlier."

"Huh? What?" Myranda asked a bit surprised to hear Van thanking her.

"At the bridge."

"Oh, yea, no problem…"

* * *

Dilandau dragged Brodie to his room by her arm. She was willing to go with him but it just felt odd to Dilandau. In the past, all his captives feared him, never willing to let him decide their fate. Brodie was something very odd and different. She had no fear. Especially of him! It irritated him to no end. 

"Look, I'm sorry I was making out with him but I didn't think we were a thing." Brodie said, breaking the awful silence.

"A thing?" he questioned, still holding her arm tightly.

"Yea…a couple. If I knew that's what you considered us I wouldn't have let him make the moves on me." She explained, trying to not concentrate on the pain from her arm.

Dilandau glanced over his shoulder baffled. "A couple?" he laughed. "We're not a couple." He growled.

"Then what are we? Why did you hit Miguel? Why-"

Dilandau stopped walking and turned to face Brodie with a fierce look on his face. "You are my prisoner and you'll do whatever I want! Unless you'd prefer to die." His crimson eyes burned with a strange passion as he spoke.

"Oh…" she began, slightly upset. "I just thought we were more than captor and captive…cuz I mean the sex was really good. It should have been bad…"

He clenched a fist. She had done it yet again. She spoke to him fearlessly. Anyone in their right mind would have been begging him to let go but not her. It both intrigued and irked him.

* * *

"Emma," Startled, she jumped slightly and turned around. "Sorry for startling you." Emma blushed and stepped backwards from the blonde knight. 

"It's alright Allen. I've had a bit too much of this punch." She gestured to her near empty glass and laughed nervously as he stepped forward.

"You're dressed quite lovely tonight." Emma could feel her cheeks burn. She wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol or him. _Oh my god is he flirting with me?_ Her eyes darted, searching for the blonde princess. _What about Millerna? I though he was into her…_ "Would you like to dance?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"I…ah…um…don't dance…But I'm pretty sure Millerna does." She tried to make and escape but he had caught her by the arm.

"Why do you avoid me?" It was a simple question that caught her off guard. The answer was too complex.

"Uh, well…" She glanced over towards Millerna and felt a slight pang of guilt. During their afternoon in the market Millerna had spoken so fondly of Allen. She had strong feelings for him. "Millerna likes you and I don't want to stand in the way."

"In the way of what? It's just a silly little infatuation. We could never court each other." Emma opened her mouth but was cut off before she could even speak a word. "Besides, Millerna is promised to another; the eldest son of her father's most trusted advisor, Dryden Fassa." Allen stepped closer and Emma stepped away. _This is becoming really uncomfortable really fast.

* * *

_

_Where's Lord Van?_ Merle wondered. She had been looking around the banquet hall for some time. She had lost sight of _her_ Lord Van during the rearrangement of the tables. _Where…?_ Then she saw it. Another woman was getting closer to _her_ Lord Van.

Her cerulean eyes narrowed into a deadly glare and her tail whipped back and forth in a vicious manner. She made her way across the dance floor; shoving innocent dancing couples out of her way. "Step away from Lord Van!" She yelled at the red head.

Myranda turned and looked at Merle and back at Van. Had she done something wrong? All she had done was strike up an innocent conversation. She didn't mean to cause any trouble or harm.

"I said back off!" the cat hissed.

"Why?" Myranda asked, purposely to irritate Merle. She was being a little too over protective of him. He wasn't some defenceless little boy.

"Cause…"She began, "You don't deserve to be in his presence you-you demon from the cursed place!" Silence filled the air. The musicians stopped playing their instruments and all conversations ceased. Merle clasped a hand over her mouth quickly. She hadn't meant to say that, especially so load.

"Merle." Van said in a low growl. "I think it's time for you to leave."

"Lord Van, I didn't-"

"Just go." Her eyes and tail sank as she turned away and left the hall.

All eyes turned to Myranda. Whispers and rumours spread like wildfire among the young nobles. Van sighed and rubbed his temples. _This is exactly what these aristocrats have been waiting for, gossip_.

"You should probably leave." Van warned in a whisper.

"What?"

"Trust me." Myranda raised a brow and shrugged her shoulders before making her way out.

* * *

Emma found the perfect opportunity to escape from Allen. "I should go check on her." She went to make her leave, feeling relieved. Again, Allen had stopped her. 

"She'll be fine. Van can tend to her." Emma's jaw dropped at the comment.

"She's my friend! I have to-" he speech was cut off as Allen pulled her into a forceful kiss. He had never had such difficulty trying to court a woman in his life. All of his usual moves and techniques didn't work; this was his last resort.

Emma tried to push him away but failed. He easily over powered her slightly weakened body. Panicked thoughts rushed through her mind. Would he try to have his way with her? _No_, she decided. She wouldn't become a victim to his charms and skilled tongue. She gathered up her strength and used it to push him away. In his moment of confusion she slapped him hard across the face.

She glared at him, her lips trembling and unsure what to say. He brought a hand to his now red cheek. He was utterly shocked. "Fuck you." She hissed before turning on her heel and making her leave. _What a fucking ass!_ She was fuming mad and almost drunk.

* * *

Myranda wandered the halls completely lost. _Where the hell did I get to? Which way…_ She stopped walking as she reached an intersecting hallway. _Damnit_. She sighed heavily and randomly picked a direction, hoping she would somehow end up at her bedroom. 

"Myranda." She turned to see a very meek looking cat girl. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to yell that. It's just…" she paused and fiddled with the lace cuffs of her gown. "Lord Van is my only family and I get protective of him."

"Van told you to apologize didn't he?" Myranda stated, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well…"she sighed in defeat. "Yes…" she grumbled. Myranda smiled slightly. _There's definitely more to Van than what meets the eye_.

* * *

Emma stormed into her room and slammed the door closed. He heart still raced and her adrenaline rush had not died down yet. She undid her bodice as she made her way over to the bed. She slipped the gown off over her head and laid it out neatly on the reclined chair. She kicked the petticoats to the side and slipped on the white, silk nightgown. 

She wanted to go back and give Allen a piece of her mind. _They probably don't even understand what "fuck you" means_, she mused. _I should have said more. I should have made him looked like a fool but…I froze…I wasn't prepared_. She walked over towards the balcony to get some much need fresh air.

She cheeks burned. "The was some punch…" she mumbled before inhaling the cool, crisp night air. "I wonder what Brodie's up to…"she smiled and hoped for the best.

* * *

Myranda eventually ended up in one of the many courtyards. She sighed in frustration and sat down on the edge of a large circular fountain. This castle is worse than a maze! She gazed into the water, looking at the reflection of the two moons. She didn't feel any sadness like her friend Emma did. There was nothing there for her. Wherever her friends were, she'd find her family. 

"I'm sorry about Merle." Myranda was more than shocked when she heard Van's voice. "She gets a little-"

"Protective, I know." Myranda finished. "But why…" She exhaled deeply as she tried to find her words. "Why are you being so understanding?"

Van raised a brow confused. "Understanding?" he repeated.

"You're not acting like the Van we met in Fanelia. You're different and it started right after Merle called me a _'demon from the cursed place.'_"

He ran a gloved hand through his thick raven locks of hair. How was he to explain that? "It's a long story."

"I have time."

"Perhaps another time." With that said, he made a quick exist. _Is he…no, it's impossible…_Myranda rose to her feet and began, yet again, on her search for her room.

* * *

Millerna made her way over to Allen once she had caught sight of him. She smiled sweetly as she approached the heavenly knight. "Where have you been?" She asked while lining her arm with his. 

"Princess," he began. "I-"

"Don't call me that." She interrupted. "Let's dance." She said, leading him to the floor.

"Millerna, you know we can't be-" She brought her fingertips to his lips.

"I don't care what my father say's. I would rather give up the crown than marry someone I don't love." She said in a serious tone. Her eyes locked with his. She pulled his body close. "Allen, I would give up this life just to be with you." He looked away. She was so much like her eldest sister. _Too much_, he added.

"Millerna, you're people need you more than I do. They need a queen." She shook her head gently.

"But I need you." She said pleadingly. "I'm sure if I spoke to father he'd make an exception. You are a remarkable knight, you have much honour, even despite some of the rumours."

"Millerna…"

* * *

Shortly after falling asleep, Emma began to toss and turn. An uneasy feeling was lurking deep within her. Finally she awoke, her eyes weakly fluttered open. She stared aimlessly at the purple canopy over her four-post bed. She couldn't understand why she was feeling uneasy. She knew it wasn't the alcohol; it never had that sort of effect on her. 

After rubbing the sleep from her eyes she sat upright and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She let out a frustrated sigh and ran her fingers through her slightly tangled hair. A yawn escaped her mouth not once but twice. _Hm…this is odd…usually after a couple of drinks I'm dead tired…So why can't I freaking sleep?_

Before Emma could even think another thought or even utter a word, four grotesque frog-like creatures grabbed her from behind. One snaked its arm around her waist while its other hand covered her mouth to muffle her desperate cries for help.

She thrashed about in an attempt to free herself. It was, however, all in vain. The other three creatures grabbed her arms and legs, immobilizing her. She bit down on the hand over her mouth. The taste of the creature's skin was enough to make her want to vomit. Never had she tasted something so foul.

The creature moved its hand away. Its piercing golden eyes narrowed. "Damn girl." It hissed before hitting her over her head, knocking her unconscious.

* * *

Myranda let out a heavy sigh after closing the door to her room. It may have taken her a couple of hours, but she finally found it. She lazily walked over to the bed, dragging her tired feet. When she reached the bed, she let her body fall forward onto it. She smiled; it felt great to just lay down. She inhaled deeply and her eyes shut loosely. 

Her moment of peace and relaxation came to a halt. Sinister laughter awoke all her senses. She sat upright in a flash. Something was not right. Her heart began to beat faster. "Who-" she stopped in mid speech as four frog-like men jumped down from the canopy over her bed.

A scream escaped her lips and she leapt off the bed. The four creatures attacked her. One jumped onto her back, pushing her off balance and onto the floor.

* * *

Merle skipped down the empty hallway. Maids had begun to dim the oil lamps hanging from the walls. The air was quiet and peaceful. The silence ended as she came across Myranda's room. Her ears twitched at the faint sounds coming from within. 

Curious, she opened the door a crack and peered in. Her eyes widened at the scene before her. Four gecko-men were attack Myranda. What should I do? She asked herself. She wanted to leave but she knew if she left Van wouldn't be too happy with her. As much as she wanted Myranda out of the picture, her conscience took over and made her help.

She barged into the room and pounced on one of the geckos. She swiped her claws across his face and dug her nails deep into his skin. The creature cried out in pain and desperately tried to get her off. Merle then leapt onto the gecko holding Myranda down. The other three escaped while they still had a chance.

After a few quick swipes of her claws the gecko let go and scurried away. Myranda looked in disbelief. _I thought she hated me…_Merle retracted her claws and crossed her arms. "Now we're even." Merle stated. "Emma saved Van so now it's even."

"What were those things?" Myranda asked as she rose to her feet.

"Those were geckos. They make great spies and thieves. But I don't get why they'd go after you."

"Maybe we should alert someone…" Myranda suggested, checking the damage done to her gown. "Go tell Van or Allen. I'm gonna check on Emma." Merle said nothing and ran off to search for Van.

Myranda knocked on the door to Emma's room nervously. She knocked again but harder. Something didn't feel right. She knocked yet again but when there was no answer, she barged in. The room was completely vacant. "Emma?" she called out as she slowly walked through the room. "Emma…" the bed sheets were unkempt. Her eyes drifted to towards the balcony. The door had been left slightly open.

A deep sinking feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as she walked toward the balcony door. She touched the glass door and halted all moments. Images flashed before her eyes. "No…" she whispered. She shook her head. It just couldn't be possible. They had gotten her.

She turned on her heel and ran out of the room. Down the hallways, she caught sight of Van and Merle. "Van!" she shouted as she ran up to him. "Emma's gone! Those geckos got her!"

"And you didn't help?" Merle snapped.

"No, she was gone before I even got there. I saw it…" she brought a hand to her head. Her dream had proven itself true yet again. _First Brodie, then Emma… _"We gotta do something!"

"C'mon," Van said turning away from Merle and Myranda. "We'll look for her with the Escaflowne. They couldn't have gotten far."

* * *

A/N: I know, wow, another chapter up so soon! Well, I had this chapter pretty much already written down in rough. The next chapter should be up soon as well since I have a lot of it already written. I know Brodie and Dilly weren't featured as much and I'm sorry. It's hard fitting everyone in one chapter. In chapter 8, expect to see a lot of Emma scenes. 


	8. Ch 8: Torn

A/N: Thank you SAGA123 for all the reviews :D

Chapter 8: Torn

When Dilandau returned to the Vione, the sun still hadn't risen yet. He disembarked from his damaged guymelef, grumbling curses under his breath. The dragon was in the palm of his hand! He was so close to capturing it. Then the pansy ass knight showed up. The dragon escaped.

Even though the dragon had gotten away, he still had fun. He had torched a few homes in the battle. A sadistic smile formed on his lips as he reminisced of the intense fire licking the buildings. There was something strangely satisfying about it.

"Dilandau." An all too familiar voice sounded from the shadows.

"What Stratgoes?" Dilandau asked, not impressed by the older man's presence.

"You should be more careful when battling near civilians. Asturia is our ally, we wouldn't want to rub them the wrong way." Dilandau chuckled at the comment.

"Our Ally?" he asked with a sneer. "Then why did they allow the Dragon to escape? I had him then that-"

"The knight has been dealt with. But you Dilandau, you have some explaining to do to the King. He was not impressed by your actions. It was unnecessary to be using the flamethrowers. The crima claws would have sufficed."

* * *

Myranda stared mindlessly at the small burning fire. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest. Everything had turned for the worse. In just over twenty-four hours she had lost not one, but two close friends. They were the sisters she never had. They were her everything. Now she was alone. Not technically though, she was with Van and the fur ball from hell. 

Van threw on a few more sticks onto the dying fire. He looked down at Myranda. He wanted to say something to perhaps comfort her but he was lost for words. Comforting people, especially women, wasn't exactly his forte. He did wish he could have helped out, he wished he could have found her friend. He knew the pain of losing someone close. He had experienced it many times.

"We'll find Emma." He stated, breaking the silence. Myranda blinked a few times, she had zoned out gazing into the fire.

"I hope so…" she replied in a low whisper. She released her legs and laid backward on the forest floor. Van sat down by her and leaned back, gazing up at the clear night sky.

"Do you miss your home?" He asked.

A small chuckle escaped her lips. "Not really." She said and looked up at the two moons. "There's nothing really there for me…there never really was…" Van raised a brow.

"Why is that?" he inquired.

She sighed heavily. "When I was young both my parents died in an accident. I was probably only six years old. Until I was about fifteen I had gone from foster home to foster home. I had no family." She shifted her body, trying to get more comfortable if that were even possible. "Brodie and Emma are my family. They're the only ones I've ever let myself get close to. But now they're both gone…"

Van sighed, he could relate to her pain. "When I was young my family…" He began but stopped, searching for the right way to phrase his story. "My father died after a battle when I was young. After his death my brother, Folken, had to complete the right of dragon slaying in order to become king. He never returned. My mother went to look for him but she too never came back." Myranda sat up and looked at Van. This was a side of him she never thought existed. She could hear the sadness in his voice. "Balgus watched over me, raised me afterwards. He and Merle became my family."

* * *

A sharp, splitting pain woke Emma from a sound sleep. The sounds of people hustling in a market filled her ears. A soft groan escaped her lips as she tried to sit up. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. _Wha…_ she opened her eyes lazily. 

To her horror she was sitting in a tall, metal barred cage. She immediately pinched herself. It had to be a dream, it just couldn't be real. "I must be dreaming…" she breathed, continuing to pinch her arm. With each pinch, a sharp pain would run up her arm. "Where the fuck am I?" she asked in a quiet whisper.

"You're in Mercado Nero." Came an answer from a greasy, round old man. He flashed her a grin. She was grateful she couldn't smell the foul odour his mouth. His teeth were stain yellow from improper care and few were even missing.

"Mercado Nero?" she repeated, hoping for an explanation.

"The Black Market, ma lady." Emma paled. She was being sold! Flashbacks of the previous night flooded her mind. She remembered being attacked by the grotesque, amphibian men but that was it. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. Tears poured out of her eyes in endless streams, landing on her white night gown. What would happen to her? Who would buy her? What sort of twisted things would they do to her? She wanted nothing more than to go home.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the young Lord Dryden. What brings you to my stall?" the old, balding man asked brown haired merchant.

"Bored I guess." He answered, pushing his small round glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Actually, I'd like to see the new treasures my father is selling."

The old man tilted his head towards the cage where Emma sat curled up in the corner. "She came in just last night. Rumours say she comes from the Mystic Moon. There was supposed to be two of 'em but one got away." Dryden moved towards the cage and observed the girl. He could faintly hear the sobs escaping her lips. He shook his head, he couldn't believe his father had sunk to a new low.

"How much is he asking for?" he asked, his thick eyebrows knitting together from the disgust for his own father.

"One hundred thousand golds." The old man answered. "You're not considering buying her are you?"

"I'll give you fifty thousand golds." Dryden offered.

The old man looked at the merchant as if he had gone mad. "No way! You don't know how much trouble it was to get her! I'll take no less than ninety thousand."

"Sixty."

"Eighty-five." The old man snapped back quickly.

"Seventy-five and I'll pay no more." The old man narrowed his eyes and considered the deal.

"Fine." He grumbled. Dryden smiled and called over his assistant, a short rat man

"Yes, what is it young master?" he asked, reaching for the moneybag he carried with him.

"Pay this man seventy-five golds." Dryden answered. The price nearly gave the rat a heart attack.

"What are you buying?" He demanded.

"That woman over there." Dryden replied, turning his gaze over to the caged young woman.

"WHAT? Have you lost your MIND?" The rat shrieked. "The mast will have my head for this!" Dryden ignored his assistant. He always over reacted about large purchases. Over time Dryden had developed an immunity to the endless scolding.

"I'll have some of my men come by to pick up the woman."

The large old merchant quickly scribbled a note o a large piece of parchment. He waddled over to the cage, grumbling profusely to himself. "You're lucky girl." He spat.

When the man was out of sight, Emma stood up and looked at the note. _I've been sold? Oh god…_ her hand instinctively went to the nape of her neck to grab hold of her pendant. Her eyes lowered as she remembered that Myranda was now in possession of it. _I feel so alone…Myranda…Brodie…where the hell are you?

* * *

_

Brodie emerged from the bathroom grinning. She had needed a nice long soak in the tub. She felt lighter than air. She untied the towel around her body and began to dry herself off. She hummed an upbeat tune and danced around. When she was finished, she simply tossed the towel aside.

She stopped her humming as she realized a little dilemma. Her clothes were dirty and needed to be washed. Her looked at her blue kilt with sad eyes. She wanted to wear it still. She picked it up and brought it to her face. She took a sniff and shrugged her shoulders. It didn't smell bad so she could probably get away with it. Her shirt was another story.

Then an idea came to mind. She turned towards the dresser and smiled deviously. She pulled open a drawer and hoped Dilandau wouldn't mind if she borrowed one of his shirts. The colour selection was limited to lavender, black and red. She pulled out one of each and held them up to her naked body. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and wondered which would look better.

Once she made up her mind, she slipped on her kilt and put on the red sleeveless shirt. She looked at her reflection again and flashed a seductive smile. Red was definitely her colour.

* * *

Merle sat by _her_ Lord Van, her tail whipping back and forth. She had very little patience. Myranda had suggested to try and divine in order to find her friends. She had seen Emma do it before, taking the pendant and using it to lead the way. It had actually worked a few times in the past. 

Her eyes remained closed as she tried to picture Emma in her mind. She knew Brodie would be all right. Emma was a different story. She liked to act tough but Myranda knew deep down she was fragile.

The pendant stayed motionless for quite some time. "It's hopeless." Merle mumbled. Van gave her a soft nudge. Those three girls had proven to be capable of extraordinary things; he wasn't about to give up so easily.

Finally the pendant swung. Myranda's eyes shot open. She rose to her feet and looked in the direction the pendant had swung. "We should head that way." She said, not removing her gaze.

Van didn't question her. Merle on the other hand was bursting with questions and demands. "Why that way!" she asked. "What's over there?" Myranda ignored the cat and followed Van towards the transformed Escaflowne.

* * *

The shuffling of feet across a rug-covered floor awoke Emma from her blissful sleep. A thick, warm blanket had been placed neatly over her body. _Where'd this come from?_ She wondered. As all of her senses awoke, she realized she was no longer in the cage. Slowly, her eyes began to focus on the room she was in. 

"Good afternoon." A voice rang out in the silent air. She shut her eyes hoping she could fool the man. She didn't feel like coming to terms with the harshness of reality just yet. The man sat down on the edge of the bed. "I know you're awake. So why don't you open those gorgeous eyes of your?" his voice was calming to hear. _Well, I guess the gig is up…_ slowly she opened her eyes and looked at the man. He was everything she didn't expect. The aura about him was a relaxed and gentle one. She had to stay on her guard, his looks could be deceiving.

She sat upright, clutching the blanket close to her chest. He held out his hand towards her. "And what might your name be, m'lady?"

Emma looked at his hand and cautiously reached out to shake it. "Em-Emma." She stuttered. Every part of her body trembled.

"You don't need to be afraid of me." He said with a warm smile.

"Okay." She answered, fear still obvious in her eyes. "Um…are you…were you the…did you…"

"Yes, I'm the merchant who bought you, Dryden Fassa." The name hit Emma in an unusual way. _Fassa…_where had she heard it before? Then it hit her.

"Your father, is he and advisor to King Aston?" she asked, examining Dryden.

"Yes." He answered. "Why?" she raised her brows slightly. _So Millerna is supposed to marry him? I don't see that marriage lasting long…_she could feel a smile tug at her lips. He looked like her opposite. She was all prissy and clean while Dryden went for the laid back, I-just-got-out-of-bed look.

"Oh it's nothing." She said in a quiet voice. Dryden's brows knitted together. There were many questions now arising in his mind. _Later_, her told himself. He would let her rest first before drilling answers out of her.

"I'll have a bath drawn for you." He said as he stood up. "I don't have any other clothes but feel free to borrow mine."

* * *

Myranda held on tightly to Van's torso. The strong was doing anything but wonders for her hair. She was grateful though that she had a hair elastic with her. Merle peered over the edge of the Escaflowne, looking at the ground below. Her brows knitted together as they approached a mine of some sort. 

"What is that?" Myranda wondered aloud.

Van took a quick glance. "A dragons' graveyard." He answered.

"Nice _divining_." Merle said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "To bring us to a place like this."

"Hey, I'm not a pro. I just interpreted what the pendant said. It's not exactly easy." Myranda replied, wishing that they weren't so high up.

Van smiled slightly. "You may have been right about the direction." A plan was brewing in his mind as he landed the Escaflowne nearby.

* * *

Millerna stormed out of her father's study in a fury. She couldn't believe what she had heard. Allen, one of the most loyal and noble of the Knights of Cali had been imprisoned. Her father had also turned his back on his own family. She wiped away the stray tears that fell from her eyes as she made her way down one of the many hallways. 

"Millerna." A voice rang out, stopping the princess in her tracks.

"What Eries?" she hissed back. "I'm in a hurry."

Her elder sister emerged from the shadows with a stern look on her face. "Forget about Allen." She told her little sister. "It will be for the better."

Millerna rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me what to think or do! I'm a grown woman." She went to leave but was stopped her sister's hand.

"Millerna…Allen will be fine."

"No he won't!" Eries grabbed her sister by the shoulders and forced Millerna to look her in the eyes.

"If you want to help, go to Godashim and warn the Duke about Zaibach. I have already made the arrangements." Millerna looked up at her sister confused.

"What?"

"Go to your room and pack a few things. I'll keep father distracted. An escort will come by in an hour." Eries let go of her sister. "Pack lightly." She added as she left.

* * *

Van, Merle and Myranda hid behind some boulders near the graveyard. "What are those guys doing?" Myranda asked, intrigued. 

"They're mining energists from fossils. They're used to power guymelefs and levi-ships." Merle informed in a matter-of-fact way.

Van looked at the mine below intently. He mumbled a few words and his eyebrows knitted together. It would be a risky to attack, but if he destroyed the mine it could benefit him greatly. "You two stay hidden here." He ordered and made his way over to the Escaflowne.

"Lord Van?" Merle looked at him concerned.

"I'll be back shortly. Just stay put for a while." With that said, he took off in the Escaflowne. Myranda slouched back against the boulder and looked down at her ruined gown. She wished she had of changed, the dress only got in her way.

"Merle, could you do me a favour?" she asked the cat hesitantly.

Her ears perked up and she looked at Myranda with a raised brow. Had she heard her correctly? Did she ask for a favour? "What?" she asked, less than enthused.

"Do you think you could rip my skirt?" Merle crawled over to Myranda and lifted the skirt of the dress, feeling the fabric.

"Why should I?"

Myranda sighed heavily. "Just do it please. It's not the most comfortable thing to wear and is hot as hell. Any ways, I thought you'd enjoy destroying a dress."

"Where do you want it?" Merle asked.

"Just above the knee." She answered, pointing to exactly where she wanted the dress to be ripped. Merle extended her claws and got to work.

* * *

Brodie once again decided to explore her new "home". She walked through mazes of dimly lit hallways in search of entertainment. Every open door she found, she explored the room it lead to. After an hour of wandering, she hadn't found much of interest; a few storage rooms and the mess hall. 

She kept wandering though. She knew there had to be more to see. Eventually she came across the guymelef-docking bay. Hanging from the ceiling were rows of gigantic machines, which she had learned were called guymelefs, giant suits of armour used in battle. Sixteen we painted a dark blue and black. _Must belong to the Dragonslayers_, she mused. Among the guymelefs, one stood out. It was crimson red. It wasn't hard for her to figure out whom it belonged to.

She leaned on the railing of the catwalk that she stood on. She looked below at the mechanics hurry about and making repairs. They seemed to spend quite a bit of time on the red guymelef. So, Dilandau did go out last night, she thought to herself. She wasn't sure if she had dreamed his absence from the bed or not.

A yawn escaped her mouth. Watching the men below was less than enjoy able. She stood up straight and continued on her way. As she walked through the hallways her vision began to blur and become distorted. She brought a hand to her head and leaned against the wall. _What's going on?_ She wondered and closed her eyes tight.

She could feel her body falling but where to? Everything went black. Her eyes weakly opened to see a deserted field. It stretched on over the horizon. The sky was darkened by thick clouds, which blocked out the sun entirely. The ground trembled, causing Brodie to stumble before falling to her knees.

Dilandau and his Dragonslayers all landing their guymelefs, surrounding a brilliant white guymelef. She recognized it immediately. _The Escaflowne…_ A battle perused instantly. One by one, each of the Dragonslayers died at the hands of the Escaflowne. Brodie brought a hand to her mouth. She could feel the bile rise in her throat. The Escaflowne turned and charged at the only guymelef still standing, Dilandau's.

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took longer than expected. I only had some parts written for this chapter. Most of the parts were about Emma. I knew it wouldn't be fair if it was all about Emma so I needed to come up with some new scenes. Some of the added scenes weren't really planned but now with them I can add some new little twists! Well, hope you're enjoying the fic! 


	9. Ch 9: Changes

A/N: thank you Black Earrings and SAGA123(have fun moving, lol! I hated moving. I still miss my old house and we moved like 4 yrs ago.) I'm glad you guys are enjoying the fic. A really good friend of mine has made some fabulous fan art for this fic. I really suggest you take a lookby checking out SidderGackt. deviantart. com

Chapter9: Changes

"Is she alive?"

"Looks like she's still breathing…"

"Someone should check…"

"She better not be dead or Lord Dilandau will have our heads…"

Brodie groaned as she slowly came too. The voices of a few Dragonslayers had awoken her from her slumber. Her eyes opened weakly and her vision remained blurred for a few moments. She eased herself into a sitting position and brought a hand to her throbbing head. _What the fuck?_ She asked herself, wondering why she had fallen asleep on the cold, metallic floor.

"Are you alright?" Miguel asked, kneeling down by her. She looked up into his eyes but quickly looked away. The horrible images from her dream flooded her mind. She could feel the bile rise up her throat. Before anyone could say another word, Brodie jumped to her feet and ran off. She wasn't very well going to vomit in front of them.

She had been lucky and came across an empty bucket. She fell to her knees before it and let it all out. Their severed bodies and bloody corpses were too much for her. The dream felt and seemed all too real. _Just like that last dream…_Her face paled further as she came to a terrifying realization. It wasn't just a dream. It was a premonition that would come true soon. She would have to warn them. Stop them at all costs.

* * *

The bath helped calm Emma's nerves for the most part. She sat in the sleek, marble tub for what seemed like an hour. The warmth of the water is what kept her in for so long. It was only when she noticed the tips of her fingers begin to wrinkle did she get out. She wrapped the soft towel around her torso tightly. 

Dryden's room was vacant much to her relief. Phew…She walked over to the ajar closet and opened it fully. _Now…what will fit me? _She proceeded to go through his clothes, looking for anything that fit her somewhat. She finally decided on a dark blue wrap-like-skirt, she did raise her brows at it but quickly reminded herself that at one time men on earth wore floor length gowns. She threw on an off white cotton shirt and tied a blue silk sash around her waist.

She examined her new look in the full-length mirror and smiled slightly. _This doesn't look too bad…_she thought, _I may just have to keep it_. She giggled quietly to herself. The bath had most certainly helped her relax. _But what do I do now? Do I stay here or do I go wherever?_ She crossed her arms and thought long and hard, weighing out the pros and cons. _He never said to stay put…but he didn't say go and explore…hmmmmm…_

She glanced at the door. It was tempting her, calling her. _Should I?_ She asked herself. Hesitantly she walked over to the door and grabbed the handle, slowly turning it. The door opened much to her delight. _If he didn't want me to leave, he would have locked me in_. Confidently she left the room, closing the door behind her and begun to explore.

* * *

Van, in his Escaflowne, attacked the mine. He easily took down any guymelef that dared to stop him. Immobilizing them was like child's play. As chaos perused down below, Merle retracted her claws as she had finished making alterations to Myranda's dress. The two girls glanced over the rocks and watched intently. Merle had no doubt in her mind that would succeed. Myranda felt a bit unnerved. 

"Hey you!" A soldier yelled as he caught sight of the hiding girls.

"Shit!" Merle squeaked and began to run for it.

"Hey!" Myranda shouted and went to follow. She stopped quickly as she realized she would never catch up. She turned and began to run the other way. _Hopefully this guy is alone_, she thought as she ran. She glanced quickly over her shoulder to see if the soldier had followed her. She felt relieved when she didn't see him. Her relief, however, was short lived when she ran into another soldier who had been waiting for her.

She didn't even bother to think of her actions and just let her instinct take over. She threw a quick and powerful fist into his obviously shocked face. He stumbled backward and reached for his sword. His hand never made it; Myranda knocked him over and ran for dear life.

* * *

Miguel sat on the floor with his legs spread out. "Wonder what's wrong with her?" he said aloud. 

"Chesta, inform Lord Dilandau that his woman is ill." Gatti ordered.

"Why me?" Chesta demanded. "He'll just take his anger out on me!"

"It's your turn any ways." Dallet piped in, slowly backing away.

"We have turns?" Chesta asked, raising a brow. Dallet gave Gatti a pleading look. No one enjoyed giving their commander any sort of bad news.

"I'll go check on the woman." Miguel said quickly and dashed down the hallway. The three Dragonslayers all rolled their eyes.

"He doesn't learn does he?" Dallet stated while shaking his head.

It didn't take long for Miguel to find Brodie leaning over a bucket. He approached her cautiously, not wanting to startle her too much. He knelt down so her was at her level. "Are you alright?" he asked in a soft tone. Brodie lifted her head slowly and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "Brodie?"

"Don't go after it…"she mumbled.

"After what?" He asked, slightly confused.

"The Escaflowne!" She yelled and looked him in the eyes. "You're all gonna die! So don't go after it!" She leaned back against the wall and held her head in her hands. "I saw it…all of you…no one will…" her eyes widened as she felt the bile rise up in her throat again.

Miguel had no idea how to react. Was she really crazy? She didn't seem too stable when they had found her, so perhaps she was a bit of a lunatic or just trying to protect the Dragon. "We're the best soldiers in all the world. No one can stop us."

"I…I had this dream…or…what did Myranda call it…a premonition. We all had them and they all came true. I saw all of you in your big armor things. The Escaflowne tore you all to bits! It was insane! I mean, especially for Scrawny Vannie. But you were all dead. Only Dilly made out alive." Miguel raised rise brows at the nicknames she had given.

* * *

The wooden floors were a rich chestnut brown. A single red rug ran down the hallway silencing Emma's footsteps. Paintings of all sorts adorned the pale blue walls; from classical realism to abstract expressionism. _Did he paint these?_ She wondered and continued on her way. 

She opened a few random doors as she explored but nothing had really caught her eye. She had found a linen closet, a small dinning room and a supplies closet. She was almost ready to just give up hope when she stumbled across a room that immediately drew her in.

From the floor to the ceiling, on all the walls were bookcases filled to capacity. Her jaw dropped as she walked further into the room. She rubbed her eyes, not sure if she was dreaming. She walked up to one of the cases and looked in awe at the old leather bound books. Her brows knitted together as she tried to read the titles of the books. _What sort of language is this?_ She wondered, pulling on of the books out. She flipped through the pages quickly before putting the book back.

"I see you've found my study." She jumped at the sound of Dryden's voice. She turned around quickly and blushed slightly out of embarrassment.

"It's really nice," she managed to say as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. It was a sort of habit she had when she a nervous. Dryden could only smile at her timid behavior.

"I apologize for not having any other clothing. I don't usually expect to come across lovely women being sold as property." Emma could feel her cheeks burn. _God, this is almost as bad as Andrew!_ She gave herself a mental kick for acting so nervous.

When she finally went to look at him, really look at him, she noticed he was sitting down on the dark green sofa. _Man does he walk quietly…_ He gestured for her to take a seat and she hesitantly did.

He followed her movements carefully. She was an interesting creature that was for sure. "Did you end up in Mercado Nero?" He asked.

"I…really don't know…"She answered, trying to think back. "I went to bed after storming out of Millerna's party. I woke up and these four frog-guys attacked me."

Dryden looked at Emma very intrigued. His father was most certainly behind her capture. He often used geckos to steal any goods that he wanted. They were quiet and discrete. "Tell me about this Millerna. Did you do anything that could have upset her?"

Emma crossed her arms and tried to think. Would the princess have set her up like that? "Not that I can think of…oh wait! Well, it wasn't so much my fault. More like Allen's. She has this huge crush on him but he doesn't really care about her. He was flirting with me the whole night. He just doesn't understand that no means no. But I can't see Millerna plotting to have me captured and sold. It seems too petty, especially for her. She is a princess after all."

Dryden's eyes widened. _She can't possibly be a talking Princess Millerna, daughter of King Aston and_, he cringed inwardly at the thought, _my fiancé_. "Where was this party?" he asked, hoping it could have been Princess Millerna of Egzardia.

"Palas." She answered.

* * *

Eries descended the narrow stone stairs to the dungeon in the Asturian castle. She spoke to the on duty guard quietly, dismissing him. She walked up to the cell that held the heavenly knight. He noticed her presence and returned her cold stare. She took out a ring of keys and unlocked the door, much to Allen's surprise. 

"I admit you were wrongfully impression. However, The Duchy of Fried is in danger. King Aston is doing nothing whatsoever to aid his own grandson. I know you have ties with Fried so that is why I'm allowing you to escape." She handed him his effects, her facial expression remaining cold. "Your crew is already prepping your airship to leave."

"Thank you Eries."

"One more thing." She said, looking over her shoulder. "Millerna is already on her way there. Distance yourself from her. She's very much infatuated with you and I know she looks just like Marlene."

"Do not worry princess. I will make sure there are no incidents."

* * *

As Van fought off another guymelef, he caught sight of the energist storehouse. He smiled knowing that once he destroyed it, Ziabach would be left with a painful scar. Three more, he told himself as he cut down the guymelef he was currently fighting. 

Merle peeked he head up over the rocks of her new hide out. She felt a pang of guilt as he thought of Myranda. She should have done something besides run away. All she could do now was hope for the best. Her eyes surveyed the mine carefully, making sure she was really out of harms way. She let out a gasp as she caught sight of Myranda fighting off a soldier. I guess now would be a good time to make up for last time, she told herself and dashed to the red head's aid.

Van growled as he knocked over another guymelef. He was starting to get impatient. He wanted to be done with fighting the guymelefs and get over to the storehouse. When the last remaining guymelef attacked, Van transform the Escaflowne into its dragon form and flew towards the storehouse. He eyes began to narrow as he noticed a strange pink glow begin to emit from his dragu-energist.

Merle pounced onto the soldier, knocking him off balance and face first into the ground. "Uh, thanks Merle…" Myranda said, wondering where the cat had come from.

"No problem. But I think it would be wise if we got our asses out of here." Merle said as she ran past Myranda, looking for a safe place to hide. Myranda didn't wait a single second to think and just followed. "Where's Van?" Merle wondered aloud, noticing the Escaflowne was nowhere to be seen.

"Up there!" Myranda pointed out, looking up at the sky. She stopped running and looked down at the glowing pendent. Her stomach began to churn. Something bad was about to happen, she could feel it.

"What are you doing! We gotta-" Merle stumbled backwards and fell on her rear as the ground began to quake. A large explosion went off sending Myranda to the ground as well. "What was that?"

"I don't like the looks of this…." Myranda said, clutching onto the boulder. Merle joined her quickly as the earth around them began to split. Myranda's eyes widened. This was all beginning to feel sickly familiar. Merle dug her claws into the boulder, holding on for dear life. Myranda tried to hold on but her grip finally slipped. She fell backwards down the newly formed cliff. She screamed like she had never screamed before. She closed her eyes as she awaited her death.

However she would live to see another day. Her eyes snapped open as a hand grabbed her wrist tightly. She looked up in complete disbelief. "No way…" she said softly.

* * *

Emma leaned backwards on the couch, laughing hysterically. "No way!" she laughed. "Prissy little Princess Millerna did that?" Dryden nodded and controlled his laughter much better than Emma. "It's so hard to imagine her covered from head to foot in mud." 

"It was definitely one of those things you had to be there to believe it. Even sometimes I find it unbelievable myself." He pushed his glassed up the ridge of his nose and cleared her throat. "So what about you? Any humorous stories to share?"

Emma sat quiet, trying to find one that could top his about Millerna starting a month long mud war with the boys of her academy at the tender age of nine. "Well…it's not so much funny, more like stupid…but any ways, this one winter me, my brother and our neighbors had this little war with these girls who lived down the street. We built this giant snow fort on our front lawn and they tried to build one too. Then they started to steal the snow from our property! They said ours was _better_ and _whiter_. We think they were jealous. So we ended up building a small wall and we buried a few rakes in it too."

"Why do that?" Emma grinned mischievously.

"When they would come back to steal our snow, they would step on them and then get hit in the face by the handle." She said in between her giggles. "It's a stupid story, but it's the only one I can think of on the spot." Dryden chuckled and patted her on the head.

"It was a good story." He said with a grin. "A bit hard to believe-"

"And why is that?" Emma demanded.

"Well, you just don't seem like the type to be involved in such things."

"Well looks can be deceiving." Emma said and sat up straight. "I've had my wild nights. Like this one time I was at a party. I had a few drinks and was talking to this guy. We must have talked for like ten minutes. Then we ended up horizontal on the couch making out for like forty minutes."

"Making out?" Dryden repeated and raised a brow.

"It's like kissing with a lot of touching and a lot of tongue."

"Interesting…most women here on Gaea only do such thing as _making out_, as you put it, after marriage. Your people are very intriguing."

* * *

While Miguel helped Brodie walk to Dilandau's room, Chesta went to speak with Dilandau. He swallowed hard before knocking on the metallic door leading to Dilandau's lounge. The door slid open, startling the blonde slayer. Dilandau sat slouched back with one of his legs hanging over the armrest of his chair. 

"L-Lord Dilandau." Chesta said and bowed low.

"What is it?" Dilandau replied unenthused.

"We found your woman, Lady Brodie, ill in the hallway. Miguel has taken her back to your quarters."

Dilandau looked at his soldier with a raised brow. He slowly moved into an upright sitting position before standing up and walking over towards his subordinate. He said nothing and brought his hand to Chesta's cheek in a forceful slap. "You disrupted me for that?" Chesta cringed and wait for the second hit. It however never came. Dilandau grumbled a few curses and walked past Chesta and into the hallway.


	10. Ch 10: Ups and Downs

A/N: Due to the lack of interest you readers are showing for my fics, this will probably be the very last chapter I update here. I'm sorry I don't update weekly. If I did that, my chapters would be very short and the overall fic would be crap. The lack of feedback is not my only annoyance. I'll still write fan fiction. I just wont be posting it on here. If you still wish to read this fic or any others that I am writing you can find them at jade-lil-pixie. deviantart. com

Chapter 10: Ups and Downs

A soft breeze blowing gently across Myranda's bare skin awoke her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she wondered how long she had been asleep. She laid there on the hard dirt ground lost in her thoughts. She remembered falling and Van caught her.

She slowly sat up and gazed at the elegant white feathers, which came to rest around her. She looked over her shoulder before turning her body around completely. Van stood before her, glorious white wings spread out. Her mouth hung open as their beauty captivated her. Van however didn't seem too proud of them she noticed.

"It was you…"she said in a quiet voice before trying to stand up. Van looked at her confused. She glanced at his wings before looking to his face. "I never thought that it would be you…"

"What do you mean?" He finally asked.

"Before I came here, I had a dream. At one point I was falling and someone with wings caught me. I never saw their face…but wow…it's you!" She ran a hand through her hair in disbelief. Van looked away and remained silent. Myranda raised a brow and wonder if she had said something wrong. "Van, what's wrong?"

He furled his wings and turned away from her. "These…they're not something to be proud of." Myranda titled her head and took a step towards him. "They call us demons, the Draconians, descendents of the people who destroyed Atlantis." Her mouth opened but no words came out. " My mother was the last full blooded Draconian. When she and my father met, many tried to separate them. The world hates us and would be happy to see us die."

"So what." Myranda said firmly. "That was a long time ago. You had nothing to do with it." Van turned to face her, his eyes wide with shock. "And besides, I think they look nice." She added and felt her cheeks blush slightly.

* * *

Miguel helped Brodie over to the bed. She sat down with her head in her hands. She wished more than anything she hadn't seen those images. When she finally raised her head, she looked at a worried Miguel. Like a hammer to her gut, another one of those premonitions hit her.

Her mossy green eyes widened and her jaw hung low. "You're gonna die…" she said in a whisper.

"I'm what?" He asked baffled.

"You're gonna be captured first then when you escape this guy…he can change forms…but he'll kill you…" Miguel stood still and silent. What was one to say? The girl had just predicted his death!

"I think you've lost your mind." He said with a forced laugh and sat down beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to find the right words.

The door slid open and in walked an unimpressed Dilandau. Miguel immediately removed his hand from her shoulder and jumped to his feet. "What is going on here?" Dilandau asked.

Brodie jumped to her feet and embraced Dilandau tightly, causing him to stumble backwards a step. When she loosened her grip she looked up into his crimson red eyes. "Don't go after the Escaflowne." She begged. "All of the slayers will die!" she tried to hold back her tears but wasn't doing so well. "He'll slaughter them all…they don't stand a chance!" Dilandau pushed her away. Miguel had made his escape already. He didn't want to be around his commander when he was in a bad mood. Brodie balled her fists to control her anger. "Dilandau! Listen to me!" He kept his back to her as he unzipped his armored jacket. "Me and my friends, before we came here we all had these freakishly similar dreams. They all came true! We all dreamt of the attack on Fanelia, we all knew that eventually we would all get separated. I was the first, Emma was next and then Myranda. And now…."

"What do you mean when we came here?" Dilandau asked as he slowly turned to face her. Brodie gave herself a mental kick. She hadn't told him yet that she wasn't of his world.

"Well…you see…we're not from the east. We're from Earth-er the…"She paused, trying to remember what Van and Allen had called their home. "The Mystic Moon." She approached him and caressed his right cheek gently. "Please, you have to believe me." She began to softly trace his scar. "I know exactly how you got that. When you went to attack Van someone warned him…I saw that…" He knocked her hand away.

"You're from the cursed place?"

* * *

The rich smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the library air, awaking Emma pleasantly. She sat upright and stretched her arms out. She hadn't had such a peaceful and worry-free sleep in what seemed like ages. "Would you like some coffee?" Dryden offered as he set the silver tray down on the table. His presence startled her momentarily.

"Yes," she answered and ran her hand through her hair. "Did I fall asleep here?"

He chuckled as he poured her a cup. "Actually we both did." Emma quickly felt her cheeks begin to burn. "Here." He handed her a cup and took a seat on the adjacent lounger. Emma took a sip and squinted her eyes as she swallowed.

"Wow that's strong!" Dryden chuckled at her reaction

"I must apologize, I'm so use to it that I tend to make it strong."

Emma took a smaller sip and smiled. "It's good. I just wasn't expecting it too be so strong." With another sip, she slowly found herself acquiring a taste for his strong blend. It most certainly woke her up. _By the time I finish this cup I'll probably need to run around for a good hour,_ she thought with a slight grin.

"When you're finished we'll be going into town. I have some business to take care of and I'm sure you'd probably like to get some fitting clothes." Dryden said after he drank the last of his coffee and poured himself another cup.

* * *

Myranda held onto Van's torso as he flew the Escaflowne through the brisk night air. Merle slept peacefully at Van's feet. Myranda was still in a bit of shock from what had happened. "So Van," she began, getting his attention. "Is that why you've been acting…nice, to me and my friends?"

Van raised a brow. "Nice?"

"Ever since Merle called me a demon from the curse place, you've been acting less…rude." Van remained silent, not wanting to answer. "I'll take your silence as a yes." Myranda said with a bit of a grin.

As Van flew the Escaflowne, something caught his eye. He frowned at the sight of the large floating fortress in the distance. "So much for flying to Fried." He grumbled. "We're going to land." He said and gave the sleeping cat a bit of a nudge, waking her up. Once landed, he transformed his guymelef and helped Myranda and Merle onto its shoulders. They would have to travel through the forest in order to make it to their destination unnoticed.

Merle's ears twitched slightly. Her cerulean eyes darted around. "Lord Van…" she said in an uneasy tone.

"Something's not right here…" Myranda said as she felt her stomach begin to churn. The soft glow of the pendant caught her eye. She held the stone in the palm of her hand and her eyes went wide. "Someone's following us." She whispered.

Van went on edge. _So much for plan b…_ "Hold on tight!" she shouted before breaking into a run. Myranda and Merle held on tightly.

"Van! There's one in front of you!" Myranda shouted. She didn't understand it, but somehow she could see the invisible guymelefs. Van moved out of the way just in the nick of time. A stream of liquefied metal shot past them. "To the left!" Myranda shouted and closed her eyes quickly.

_There has to be some way out_, Van thought as he ran in the Escaflowne. He couldn't fight back if he couldn't see whom he was fighting. Also, having Merle and Myranda onboard didn't make things much easier. _Perfect!_ He thought as he spotted a clearing ahead. His grin grew as he spotted a pond. When he reached the water's edge, he knelt down and told Merle and Myranda to hide.

"Cleaver little Dragon." An eerily familiar voice spoke over the radio. "But you're still out numbered!" The enemy guymelefs disengaged their stealth cloaks. They would be useless in the water. Merle and Myranda hid behind some bushes and watched the fight pursue.

* * *

Brodie watched Dilandau and the other Dragonslayers battle the Escaflowne below. She gnawed on her fingernails. She didn't want either side to lose. But only one would have to come out as the victor. Her eyes widened in delight as they came across a familiar looking red head.

She felt a wave of relieve knowing that Myranda was all right and still alive. However, the relief was short lived when she couldn't see Emma. She knew her friend was alive, she could feel it but where was she? Was she in some sort of danger?

Her brows knitted together as images flashed through her mind. She saw Miguel's death once again. Her stomach churned and she fell to her knees. "Not again…"she whimpered. She didn't want to see anymore of that horrific sight.

Myranda's brows knitted together as a strange feeling overcame her. Something felt different. She followed her instinct and looked to the sky. She could faintly see the floating fortress hovering overhead. "Brodie…" she felt a smile pull at her lips.

She couldn't explain it. She just knew that's where her friend was. She felt more than relieved knowing that she was alive. Now all she had to worry about was Emma's safety and whether or not Van would be able to get out of this battle unscathed.

She looked back to the battle in the water with worry. However, her nerves calmed as reinforcement arrived. His timing was impeccably perfect. Allen's sudden appearance threw off the enemy and gave Van the upper hand.

* * *

When they had arrived in the town, Dryden took Emma to an old friend of his. For many years he had done business with their family. They owned a tailoring business that became popular among the aristocrats within Egzardia thanks to his help.

As Dryden opened the door to the store, a bell chimed alerting the middle-aged woman behind the wooden desk. "Ah Lord Dryden!" she said in a lighted voice. "It's good to see you." She walked around the desk to properly greet the young merchant. "What brings you here?"

"This lovely creature needs some proper clothing to wear." He said stepping aside to reveal a blushing Emma. The woman looked Emma up and down. "I leave her in your skilled hands." He said with a wink. "I have some other business to attend to. I'll be back in an hour or so."

Emma stood nervously in the store. "So what might your name be?" the woman asked in a sweet tone.

"Emma." She answered quietly. _I just hope she isn't as cruel as Millerna was back in Palas._

The woman smiled warmly at her. "I don't bite deary. Feel free to look around and if you see anything you like just give me a yell." The woman disappeared behind a stack of books and papers at her desk. Emma bit her lips and ventured through the store, looking at all the different gowns and outfits hanging on the walls.

A few dresses had caught her attention quickly. She glanced at the price tags and her eyes widened. Some of them cost more than she did. Dryden had eventually told how much he had purchased her freedom for. _I wish Myranda and Brodie were here…they could help me narrow down my choices._

"You can try anything on if want." The woman's voice made Emma jump. "Lord Dryden wont be back for a while. So go ahead, pick anything." Emma looked around the store quickly. The woman raised a brow and waited. "Here, I'll get you started." She grabbed a dress and lead Emma to the changing room. "You can never really tell what looks good until you've tried everything." She smiled and winked before closing the curtain. "I'll find ya some other gowns and if you need any help at all, just give me a shout."

Emma looked at the pink pastel gown and cringed. She rolled her eyes and undressed. She tried to be optimistic as she put on the gown. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She tilted her head to the side and picked the dress apart. The colour was horrendous and she was officially not a fan of the empire waistline.

"How are ya doing in there?" Before Emma could say a word, the curtain was yanked open. "Hmm…pastels aren't your friend…nor are the high waistline…here are a few other styles." She handed Emma a pile and closed the curtain. _This is going to be a long day…

* * *

_

Brodie paced back and forth in the slayers' lounge. She had run away from watching the battle. She could only hope for the best. Her pacing came to a half when the metallic door slide open. Her presence startled a few of the slayers who entered.

"Where's Miguel?" She asked them as they all sat back on the sofas, obviously exhausted from their battle.

"His 'melef got damaged and couldn't escape." Chesta answered. Brodie bit her lip and ran out of the room. She dashed through the hallways looking for Dilandau. She spotted him just as he was about to enter his room. She ran harder and pounced on him, almost knocking him off balance.

"What the hell?" he yelled.

"I told you!" she shouted. "I told you he would get caught!"

"Miguel can fend for himself." He said in a grumbled tone and pried her off. Brodie's fists shook. She wanted to hit him but she had a relatively good idea where that would lead to.

"He's going to die if you don't do something!"

* * *

For once Myranda had been grateful for the knight of Cali's existence. If he had not shown up when he did, the battle would have ended differently. They were lucky they had managed to escapes unscathed. Unlike Van and Merle, her mind could not be at ease. What happened in the forest had her more confused than ever.

She could see the invisible guymelefs. She didn't understand why she could. She hadn't tried to dowse, it just happened. Her brows knitted together as she rested her head in her hands. She just wished she could find an answer to all her questions.

"Myranda." She lifted her head slowly to look at the unwanted company. Princess Millerna stood before her with an almost sympathetic look on her face. "I thought you might like to have this. It was your friend's." She held out the navy blue bag, which Myranda didn't hesitate to take. "I had a feeling that we would meet once again."

"Thanks." Myranda said in a mumbled voice.

"Your welcome," the princess replied before taking her leave. Myranda opened the bag and began to go through its contents. A smile pulled at her lips as she came across the digital camera. She took it out and turned it on. She quickly went through the few pictures Emma had taken. Her smile grew as an idea came to mind. _I wonder if I could get Van to show his wings for one picture…Emma would love to see that_.


	11. Ch 11: Pain and Pleasure

A/N: I know I said I would never update here on but I figured why the hell not? I'm giving another shot and if it hasn't changed then I guess this will be my final farewell.

Chapter 11: Pain and Pleasure

Emma groaned quietly as the woman handed her yet another pile of dresses. She knew by simply looking at them they were not her style. However, since she was such a nice person she would humor her and put them on. She sifted through the pile and came across a gown that she fell in love with.

The rounded, gold trimmed décollage hugged her bare shoulders gently. Long bell shaped sleeves hung onto her arms gracefully. The deep blue and gold bodice gave her a stunning hourglass shape. A brilliant gold skirt flowed elegantly from her waist and over the blue petticoats, which peaked out from the skirt's reverse v-shaped slit down the front.

Emma couldn't help but smile and giggle like a schoolgirl as she looked at her reflection. _Damn I look hot_, she thought while trying to hold back her giggling. "How are ya doing in there?" the woman asked and pulled the curtain open. "Well, well, well…looks like we hit the jackpot! Come, come!" She said with a rather large grin and pulled Emma over to the pedestal. "It fits ya perfectly." She tugged at the skirt, smoothing it out slightly.

"I couldn't agree more." Emma felt her body stiffen slightly at the familiar voice. Her eyes found the young merchant who was sitting quite relaxed in the leather-covered armchair. She could feel her cheeks begin to flush as she darted her eyes away from him.

"How many more gowns you got dear?"

Emma stepped down from the pedestal with some help from the woman. "I think this is the last one."

"Any you liked?" Emma walked over to the pile small pile that she had made. It consisted of a brown leather skirt, an off-white fitted shirt and a dark blue vest with a gold trim. She handed it to the woman who carried them over to a table. "She's a strange one Lord Dryden." The woman said as she neatly folded the outfit.

Dryden stood up and walked over towards the woman. He whispered quietly to her some instructions. She stepped back and raised a brow. "Aren't you promised to the Asturian twit? Princess what's-her-name?"

Dryden let out a loud chuckle. "Yes I am but," He leaned in closer and spoke in a low voice, "If the king dies before we can wed then the betrothal is annulled."

"Ah…So that's why you decided to be a merchant…" She grinned. "I hope for your sake the old fart keels over soon."

* * *

Myranda clenched her hands into fists, digging her nails into the palms of her hands. She didn't know how much longer she could sit in a kneeling position. The pain was becoming close to unbearable.

Millerna smiled in amusement at the pained face Myranda was trying to hide. She didn't exactly have anything against her, other than the fact she was the friend of that bitch. Her violet eyes narrowed as she thought of the strange blonde who had stolen her Allen's heart and then had the nerve to hit him. Emma was nothing compared to her. She didn't deserve Allen.

When she had heard that Emma had been captured her spirit had lightened. Her competition was gone and Allen could be hers. She didn't care whether or not Emma was alive or dead. She was gone and out of the picture.

"Aunt Millerna," the young, distinguished blue-eyed prince spoke in a soft voice, "I heard that Sir Allen, the Knight of Cali, is traveling with you. Is this him before me?" He asked, gesturing to Van with a hopeful look on his face. "When mother was alive she told me many stories of the invincible knight of the Heavens."

Myranda tried hard to suppress her laughter. Millerna shot a deadly look at the red head but remained composed as she spoke. "No, this is King Van Fanel or Fanelia. Allen is working on repairs to his guymelef. We were ambushed on our way here and his guymelef sustained some heavy damage."

Prince Chid bowed his head and apologized to Van for the assumption. "Fried welcomes you King of Fanelia," he said with a genuine smile. "Aunt Millerna, when can I meet Allen?"

Myranda changed out of what was left of her red dress. She looked over the selection of clothing that had been offered to her. She was so grateful that the people of Freid were more casual in their attire than the Asturians.

For the time being she would wear the traditional orange and purple robes that she had seen a few citizens don. It was simple and roomy; two of her favorite things. She could breathe with ease and not worry her breasts would fall out.

She ventured out of her room and began to explore the palace. The sheer beauty of it blew her away. She felt as if she had traveled to the Far East. Everything about the city was very similar to Tibet on Earth: The landscape, the architecture, the culture and the very atmosphere.

"What the hell are you wearing?" the cat asked as she sat perched up on the stone balcony.

"What's it matter to you?" Myranda hissed back.

Merle stuck out her tongue. "Lord Van is looking for you. Don't know why he would."

* * *

Brodie sat cross-legged on the black silk sheets on Dilandau's large bed. She had the vision yet again. However, this time is was more intense. She could feel the fear the Dragonslayers felt as the Escaflowne mercilessly slaughtered them. Her hands trembled as she remembered their cries for help.

She had warned Dilandau already, but he obviously disregarded it. She laid backwards and sighed heavily. She didn't want anyone of them to die. They had become a sort of extended family to her. There had to be a way to get through to Dilandau. Her brows knitted together in frustration. Then it hit her like a bolt of lightening. It would take a lot of will power, but it had to be done.

_I'm sorry Dilly_, she thought as she sat back up, _but no more sex until you listen to me_. She hated having to make that choice. It was great sex; the best she could recall ever having. His arrogance and dominant nature was a major turn on for her. His eyes, however, were what really captured her. They were chilling yet inviting.

She smacked her forehead and scolded herself. Thinking of his body and captivating eyes was only making it harder to stick to her plan. _I gotta get out of this room!

* * *

_

Myranda left the courtyard to give Van some space so he could practice dowsing. She tried her best to teach him how. She wasn't as good as Emma when it came to explaining how to dowse. She could only hope that he understood what she had said.

As she wandered the halls she paused, _I wonder…_ she thought as she came across a stone staircase that descended in a downward spiral. She wanted to speak to the prisoner. She needed to know whether or not Brodie was all right.

Not wanting to fall or slip, she descended the stairs slowly. When she reached the bottom, she glanced down the dim hallway. No guards…perfect. She kept a slow pace and stepped softly to avoid attracting any attention.

She came to a stop when she came across the only occupied cell. The prisoner sat cross-legged on the small cot against the stonewall. She approached the cell with caution and unsure of what to say. She stood there looking at him lost in her thoughts. It didn't take long for her to begin to second-guess herself. Perhaps coming to talk to him was a bad idea. What if he didn't know who Brodie was? What if he had his way with her?_ No_, she told herself, _no one can have their way with her_. A smile tugged at her lips.

"What are you smiling about?" the prisoner sneered.

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. "Nothing" she said quickly.

He raised a brow and examined her carefully. _She looks familiar… _"Are you one of Sir Allen's whores?"

Myranda's jaw dropped. "Am I what!" she asked in disbelief.

"One of the three whores that Asturian knight has. You look like the red head that was with Brodie."

Myranda stepped up to the bars of the cell and held them tightly. "You know Brodie?" his comment earlier had almost been completely forgotten.

"Yea, she's Lord Dilandau's woman now." She breathed a much-needed sigh of relief. "So, are you one of the whores?"

"We were never on of his whores." She said sternly. "It was just his fantasy."

"oh," he said, leaning back against the wall.

"How is she?" Myranda asked, loosening her grip on the iron bars.

"Good I suppose. Although, she started saying all this crazy shit; telling us not to fight the dragon. I should have listened to her. She even told me I would be captured!"

_She's having the same dreams…_ "Thank you," she said, "If you see her again, tell her Myranda's okay and Emma has gone missing."

* * *

Emma jumped backwards onto the bed. Everything was beginning to look up. She hadn't had any horrible dreams or premonitions since left Asturia. The uneasy, churning feeling in her stomach had completely disappeared. She pinched her arm to assure herself that she wasn't dreaming. She winced then grinned as a sharp pain traveled up her arm.

She sat upright quickly. She had to get changed. Dryden was going to treat her to a proper meal. She opened the box with her new outfit. Much to her surprise, she found the last gown she had tried on at the store. She felt her cheeks flush as she held the gown in her hands. He was certainly something else. _Millerna doesn't deserve him. Not at all._

Once she was dressed, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't satisfied with the overall look. There was something missing. She went back to the box and took out the jeweled headband and a few cosmetics they had purchased. From what she had noticed about the women on Gaea was that put more emphasis on their lips. She took out the red lip paint and applied it. She teased her hair back a bit, just to give it some volume.

She smiled wickedly at her reflection. Now she was ready.

* * *

As Myranda ascended the spiraling staircase, a familiar and uneasy feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She leaned against the wall and cringed as gruesome images flooded her mind. She saw a priest, but his shape began to change and attacked the prisoner. His bloody corpse laid at her feet. She clamped a hand over her mouth and looked away.

"I'm taking you with me!" a hand grabbed onto her ankle tightly and began to pull her into a strange, silver liquid. The thick, cold liquid sent shivers through her body.

"Let me go!" She yelled and trashed about. "Let me-!"

She awoke from her vision breathing heavily. She turned and sat down on the steps to collect her thoughts. Her dreams had become more real. They weren't like before. She could feel everything in them. She honestly thought she was going to die in her dream.

* * *

Dilandau walked to his room wearing a short bathing robe and his armor in hand. He had never felt more dirty and disgusted than he did at that moment. He wasn't pleased with Folken's plan to use a doppelganger. He would have preferred to kill the monk. It would save them more trouble.

The moment he disembarked from his guymelef, after escorting the disgusting creature to the Priest's ship, he needed to shower and wash away the dirty feeling. Drops of water dripped from his wet silver locks onto his robe. All he wanted now was a good fuck and a good nights sleep.

After opening the door to his chambers, he tossed his armor aside and made his way to the bed. Brodie shot up abruptly and jumped out of the bed before he could even lay a finger on her. He raised a very confused brow. "What the hell has gotten into you!" he demanded, standing up.

She bit her lip and looked at him with saddened eyes. "I…I…umm…it's that time of month…"she tried to lie.

"Time of month?"

"Girl stuff, not fun to have sex when you're bleeding from between your legs ya know." She said, giggling trying to lighten the mood. Dilandau wasn't buying it.

"I don't see any blood."

Brodie's eyes darted around the room. "Hey! I think I see a spot there!" she shouted and pointed at the bed. When Dilandau turned to look she dashed out of the room. _This is going to be so hard!_ She told herself. When she saw him standing there, dripping wet, she wanted to rip off his robe and throw him onto the bed.

* * *

As Emma descended the white marble staircase a thought crossed her mind. _What are we doing? Is this a date? Oh my God! I'm going a date with an engaged man! This is so not right! My mom would kill me if she knew! I should turn around. I shouldn't be doing this. I should- _Her thoughts ceased as she her eyes came to rest on a dressed up Dryden.

His hair was pulled back in a tidy, low ponytail. His attire was semi-formal. He wore a deep green doublet with golden embroidery over a white, starched shirt. His pants were jet black and freshly pressed. He donned a deep green overcoat with golden trim and buttons. _He looks so…_ For the millionth time she felt her cheeks flush. _Screw Millerna! She doesn't deserve him!_ She smiled softly as she approached him.

"Thank you for the dress." She said as she linked arms with him.

"The pleasure is mine."

* * *

Myranda walked slowly down the hallway, rubbing her temples as she did. The dreams had intensified a lot. She wasn't one to be easily scared but her last dream had her still trembling. She made her way outside to one of the courtyards for some fresh air.

The air was crisp and refreshing. The sun had set and the two moons hung elegantly in the dark sky accompanied by thousands of stars. _Earth…_she thought, _I don't know if I…_

"You are Myranda, correct?" a young, sweet voice spoke.

Myranda looked over her shoulder to the see the young prince standing beside her. "Yes." She answered before sitting down on the stone steps. "It's it a bit late for you to be still up?"

"I guess," he replied and sat beside her. "Lady Merle tells me you can read the future."

Myranda let out a chuckle. "She has me mixed up with my friend Emma. I have dreams of the future, but Emma, she has the real skill to read the future."

"Oh…" he said in a somewhat saddened tone. "Is she ever wrong?"

"Well…" she scratched her head and leaned back. "She's not always 100 right. But the future is uncertain and can be changed."

"You believe one can change their fate?" Chid asked, looking up at Myranda.

"Sure. Anything is possible. And when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." She said with a smile. She had her share of making lemonade. Life had dealt her a nasty hand of lemons as a kid. Instead of letting it ruin her life, she pushed through and accepted it. If anything, it made her stronger.


	12. Ch 12: Booze, Visions and Deceit

Chapter 12: Booze, Visions and Deceit

If Emma believed in a heaven, then she was most certainly in it. Not only did the food they order smell appetizing, it tasted superb. The night was going splendidly. Nothing could possibly ruin it. "Except maybe that pansy knight," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Dryden asked.

Emma's eyes went wide and she put down her empty wine glass. She hadn't realized she said her thought aloud. "Oh nothing." She said with a giggle to hide her embarrassment. "But I'll have another drink!" She said and raised her glass. A waitress came by and refilled her drink. "Thank ya." Emma said before taking a rather large gulp. Dryden laughed and leaned on the table. Emma was beyond unusual. She put down her glass, which was half empty already. "What's so funny?" she asked suspiciously.

Dryden leaned back in his seat, not being able to remove his eyes from her. "You're just so…"

"Weird." Emma interrupted while grinning.

"Yes…and unusual…"

"Thanks!" She exclaimed and took another gulp. "Man this stuff is good! Normally anything that is wine-like I hate. But this is so fruity and sweet." She looked around for the waitress to signal her for another refill. Dryden caught her hand quickly before she could give a wave of her hand. "Heeeey!"

"Most woman after four glasses wouldn't be able to function so well."

"Well mister," Emma began as she leaned onto the table, "I'm not an _ordinary_ woman! I can take my alcohol. I inherited that ability from my mother. She's Irish and boy can the Irish drink! I'm use to harder stuff like vodka, tequila-hey do you guys have any of that here? Tequila?"

Dryden sat up and ordered them both one more round of drinks. The hour was getting late. Emma savored her last drink, taking almost an hour to finish it. She was in the mood to party and have a good time. She wasn't ready to call it a night yet.

* * *

Brodie stared at the ground beneath the floating fortress. Her head throbbed with pain as she fought off the visions. She fell to her knees in exhaustion. How could she stop them from becoming real? _There has to be a way…_

Holding tightly onto the rail of the catwalk she slowly rose to her feet. "What the hell is wrong with you woman?" her eyes welled up with tears and she ran into Dilandau's unprepared arms. She clutched tightly onto his robe, still trying to hold back her tears. "What the-!"

"Miguel's gonna die! They're all gonna die!" she looked up at him, her cheeks stained with tears. "I have dreams and they always come true…I saw Miguel…he was strangled by this thing…then you, all of you, die fighting Van, the 'Dragon'. I'm not saying this to stop you from fighting my friends…I…" She held him close, pressing her body hard against his. "I care about you and the Dragonslayers. I don't want to see any of you die."

* * *

Dryden held on tightly to Emma's arm as he walked her to his room. The Vino was beginning to take its toll on her as she was having a difficult time with her ability to walk and stay balanced. He walked her to the bed where she laid back and began to laugh uncontrollably. Dryden couldn't help but smile.

Emma sat up right and crossed her legs. She starred at Dryden for a moment or two before gesturing for him to sit down. "Thank you." She said. "Thanks for everything. If you hadn't found me I dunno where'd I be!" and with out any warning she pounced on him, giving him a hug. The force behind it almost knocked Dryden right off the bed. "You've been more than nice to me…you…." She pulled back and became lost in his deep green eyes. "There's something about you…something that draws me…I don't fall for guys like you…"

"Guys like me?" Dryden asked, raising his brows.

"Yea! One, you're waaaaaaay older than me. I usually draw the line at two years," She held up two fingers and wagged them. "Not six. Two, you're really tall…and…"she bit her lip before uttering those words, "You're 'promised' to an air-headed, blonde bimbo." Dryden threw back his head and laughed at her description of Millerna. He hadn't seen her in years but it sounded as if nothing had changed. "She doesn't deserve you! And you don't deserve to spend to rest of your life with her. She's all gaga over the blondie knight any ways." She made a sour face at the thought of Allen.

* * *

Myranda watched the sun rise over the tall, slender mountains. It was a beautiful sight and made sure to whip out Emma's camera and take a snapshot. _I just hope she's all right…_She thought to herself as she stared at the camera.

"You're up awfully early." Merle said, looking down at Myranda from the roof overhang.

"Yea, well I don't think _you_ could sleep well either when your dreams are plagued by death and destruction…stupid cat…"Myranda muttered back.

"HEY!" She hissed and jumped down from the roof to the balcony. "That was uncalled for! Prepare to become my scratching post!" She went to pounce on Myranda but stopped abruptly when Van yelled at her to simmer down. She leaned over the balcony with her ears and tail hanging low. "B-but Lord Van she-"

"Merle." He said sternly. She glared at Myranda who hadn't moved from her position. She stuck out her tongue and hissed before making her leave. Myranda squeezed her eyes shut tightly as another premonition overpowered her.

She could hear a faint sob that became clearer. She swallowed hard, thinking it was the same vision about Brodie. She was completely shocked and surprised when it turned out to be Emma. She approached with caution and knelt down slowly. "Em?" She asked and placed her hand on Emma's shoulder. "Are you-"

Emma turned quickly and embraced Myranda tightly. "I miss you!" she cried.

Myranda held back her tears as she usually did. "I miss you too hun." She said and rubbed Emma's back to comfort her. "It's okay, we'll see each other again."

"I know we will…" She whiped away her tears and smiled. "I have to go now…" Myranda looked at her friend confused.

"What the hell? That's it? No hug good-bye?" Emma looked over her shoulder and winked.

"I'm saving that for when we meet. It will be soon; very soon." She began to walk away but paused and looked over her shoulder once more. "Oh, one more thing. Tell Scrawny Vannie to be careful and not get too carried away."

"What? What's that supposed to mean!" Her friend faded away into the darkness, leaving Myranda alone. "What was that supposed to mean?" her brows knitted together as she tried to reflect on past dreams.

A sick sort of feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach suddenly. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen and glanced around her. She could feel something coming. There was a flash of a bright light and when it dissipated she had to fight off the urge to vomit. Bloody corpses and body parts laid before her. "Oh my…" she clasped a hand over her mouth quickly.

Her eyes trailed to the only standing figure. His sword rested on his shoulders and he grinned satisfied. She couldn't believe her eyes. She never expected his to be capable of such a horrendous thing.

"Myranda!" She snapped out of the dream and screamed at the top of her lungs. The high-pitched, feminine scream sent Van falling backwards. She didn't strike him as a screamer. She didn't even scream or cry when she had almost fell to her death.

Myranda sat leaned up against the balcony railing and breathed heavily. Every part of her body trembled. The last vision was too gory and too real. "What the hell is up with you?" Van demanded, trying to regain his composure. Myranda looked at him and couldn't even utter a word. She tried to stand up but her legs gave way and she fell back down.

She placed her head in her hands and gripped her hair. "Just go…" She managed to say. "Please! Just go!" Van stood up with a confused look on his face. Something was very off. Not knowing what to do or say, he heeded her words and left.

* * *

Dilandau stretched his arms and back after sitting upright on his bed. Brodie laid sprawled across the sheets, her face glowing angelically. She frowned and let out a groan. She couldn't stick to her plan. She had caved into him. The dreams were getting more difficult to bear, she reminded herself. Anyone in her shoes would have caved as well.

"Feeling any better?" Dilandau asked, a satisfied grin on his lips. Brodie grabbed one of the silk pillows and covered her head with it. She knew Myranda and Emma would both be ashamed of her. Dilandau raised a brow and pulled the pillow away. "Need another round?"

Brodie looked up at him, sadness evident in her eyes. She could feel another one of the dreams about to hit her. She sat upright and snaked her arms around his neck. Just as the vision was about to begin she pulled him into a fierce kiss. She hoped this plan would work. She hoped that intimate touching with him would share the horrid vision with him.

When the images of the slain Dragonslayers had passed she parted lips with him and slide away. Dilandau sat wide-eyed. Brodie looked at him worried. "Did…" He shook his head and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Dilandau-"

"I…you stay put." He said and slipped on a pair of his leather plants with shaky hands. Brodie watched him leave and breathed a sigh of relief. She was almost certain it had worked. _I hope so…I don't want them to die…

* * *

_

Emma sat silently gazing at Dryden. There was something so familiar, so comforting about him. _Were we lovers in a past life?_ She wondered. Every boy she had ever dated or had a crush on never made her feel this way. _It's impossible for us to have met before…we're from different worlds! _

She fidgeted where she sat so she was in a kneeling position. She moved closer to him and cupped his cheek. "You shaved…" she said, almost disappointed.

"Is that a bad thing?" He asked, completely confused by her forward actions. He was beginning to see a whole different side to Emma; one he didn't think existed.

"No…but the scruffy look suits you." She smiled gently and moved her hand from his cheek to the nape of his neck. Blue eyes met with green. She couldn't remove her stare, which was highly unusual for her. Eye contact generally made her feel nervous. His stare, his eyes, they were something she could tolerate and even gaze back into with comfort.

She leaned forward, not caring about anything or anyone. She didn't care that he was technically taken or promised. It felt right to do this. She pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. When they parted lips, a sudden pang of guilt overcame her. She backed away and avoided looking at him. "I'm sorry…" she mumbled and turned her face away from him. But it felt good and felt so right.

His hand cupped her chin, turning her face towards him. "There's no need to apologize." He told her.

"I just…I…" Before she could put her thoughts into order he pulled her close and into a passionate kiss.

The kiss had caught her completely off guard but she wasn't about to push him away. It relieved her of the guilt. She didn't feel shameful or guilty as she wrapped her arms around his neck and began to explore his mouth with her tongue. She felt something she hadn't felt in a long time: happy.

* * *

After a few deep calming breathes, Myranda gathered herself together and left her room. She figured that if she could distract herself that the dreams would go away. She ventured through the hallways admiring the Asian-like architecture and art. The immense palace had a very Zen energy to it.

She didn't pay much attention to where she was heading and nor did she care. Wandering aimlessly calmed her mind and made her forget for a while of the dreams. That all came to an end when she realized where she now was. She scratched her head and wondered why she didn't notice earlier that she was in the dungeons.

She was about to turn around and leave when she heard some voices speak. "Sir Boris, I want you to leave us alone." The voice sounded eerily familiar.

"Well, but…"Boris began but fell silent. Myranda's stomach began to ache and churn. _Not another dream…_She thought while grabbing her head.

Her eyes went wide when a vision did not follow the uneasy feeling. Something was not right. "You're Miguel, aren't you?" The priest's voice hissed.

"How do you know my name?" the prisoner demanded.

"I was sent here by Lord Folken…"

"Folken?" Myranda said in a quiet whisper. _Isn't that Van's brother?_ She listened intently to the plot of deceit that the false priest was implementing. She could feel her blood begin to boil. She had to warn someone.

She ascended the stairs quietly by stepping lightly and slowly. She didn't want to imagine what sort of fate she would suffer if she had been heard by that creature. When she had made it out of the stairwell, she ran like mad looking for anyone; preferably Van or Allen since both understood that she had an ability to foresee the future.

She stopped to catch her breath when she reached one of the courtyards. She looked around and saw Van. He was practicing the dowsing ability that she had tried to teach him the day before. _I hope I explained it right…_she thought as she watched him miss the bull's eye repeatedly. She shook her head, remembering the matter at hand. "Van!" She yelled, causing him to miss the target altogether.

He clenched his fist and growled, "What?"

"The priest guy, Plac-something, he's a fraud!"

"He's a what?" Van asked, trying to make sense of her quick paced speech.

"He's not the real priest. He's a fake and he works for Ziabach! He hypnotized the prisioner and made him say crap about us, like we're here to over throw the kingdom or something!"

Van dropped his bow, "Go find Merle. I'll alert Allen and the others." Just as they were run their separate ways, the royal guards halted them.


	13. Ch 13: Grins and Gripes

A/N: Thank you Litschi and Macky for the reviews

Chapter 13: Grins and Gripes

"This is insane!" Van shouted, gripping the iron bars of the cell tightly. "Ziabach is the enemy!"

Myranda sat crouched down against the wall. Her stomach ached with that familiar pain. Something bad was going to happen. To who, she didn't know and that only made her worry more.

Boris approached the heavily guarded cell; a stern look plastered on his face. "The girl," he began, shifting his gaze to the red head, "The Lady Myranda will be interrogated first." Myranda's eyes went wide with shock. She looked at Boris as if to say _"You've got to be kidding."_

"She has nothing to do with this!" Allen protested.

"Then you will have nothing to worry about." Allen clenched his fist and gritted his teeth at the comment. Van was steaming mad and looked like he was ready to burst out yelling. Merle watched her king worriedly. Her ears and tail hung low and wondered if there was anything she could possibly do.

* * *

Emma awoke with a smile on her face. She had another night without a gory dream predicting the future. Her dream was light hearted and carefree; much like the dreams she typically had before coming to Gaea.

She laid in an almost blissful state for a few moments before she realized what she was laying on. She knew something had felt different when she woke up, but she chose to ignore it and hold onto that feeling of happiness. He cheeks began to flush when she had come to the realization that she had slept in the same bed as Dryden.

Her eyes darted down to her body instinctively. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw she was wearing a nightgown. She laid still for a few minutes trying to remember the night before. She recalled drinking a large amount of alcohol, talking to Dryden and then…her cheeks grew redder when she remembered kissing him. _I can't believe I did that! _

Slowly she sat upright, touching the tips of her fingers to her lips. More memories on the previous night became clearer. After the first kiss he kissed her back, which lead to hours of passionate lip locking and, as her gym teacher would put it, _"heavy petting."_

She looked over her shoulder looked at Dryden sleeping peacefully and shirtless. A naughty thought came to mind quickly as her eyes drifted across his well built chest to where the deep green blanket began to cover his body. _How naked did he get?_ She wondered as she lifted the blanket slightly.

* * *

Brodie ventured out of Dilandau's room shortly after he had left. She didn't like not knowing whether or not her plan had worked. She hadn't had a premonition yet and for once she actually had hoped for one. Would her actions change the course of the future? Or what she had done just angered the gods or whoever it was that decided the future.

She sighed heavily and began to drag her feet as she walked down the vacant corridors. She kept her gaze downward and suddenly felt an extreme sense of loneliness. How long had it been since she had been separated from her friends? Her paced slowed to a crawl as she tried to figure out how much time had passed.

Her brows knitted together as she tried to count the number of days using her fingers. She finally gave up, as all the numbers seemed to become jumbled in her mind. Also, as she thought back to each day she lost count. She had made some fond memories, which made her grin mischievously.

With a smile on her face she picked up her pace and continued to search out Dilandau. Thinking back to their many intimate moments alone put a happy bounce in her step. He was so mysterious. She wanted to find out everything about him. _I wonder if he keeps a journal or diary…_she wondered and then giggled at the thought of him sitting down at a desk writing his thoughts and feelings. _The only feel he has is lust_, she joked.

* * *

The sick feeling only got worse for Myranda as she entered the interrogation room. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as the feeling intensified. "You may sit down." An eerie voice spoke, sending shivers up her spine. When she turned to face the owner of the voice her eyes went wide. The priest's face appeared to be slightly distorted to her. She could see his skin, his true skin.

"You're-"

"Plactu, the most trusted priest in the Dutchy of Freid."

"No." she said, holding her ground. "You're an imposter…a-a shape-shifter!" for a brief moment the priest looked shocked.

"Sit down." He hissed.

"No! I heard you talking to the prisoner!" She shouted and pointed her finger at him. She was so full of rage. They had picked the wrong person to interrogate. "We fled Asturia after I was almost kidnapped by geckos. I don't know the whole story here but what I do know is that Ziabach attacked Fanelia unprovoked!"

The priest managed to maintain his composure. He still silently with his eyes closed tightly, chanting quietly. His eyes snapped open as he thrusted his arm forward and shouted "Be Silent!" the sick feeling returned to Myranda. His eyes seemed to pierce through her and sent her into a strange trans. The priest sighed heavily and sat down.

"Aunt Millerna, what was Lady Myranda speaking about?" Prince Chid asked, not being able to remove his gaze from the scene before him.

"I…don't know…" Millerna replied in a quiet voice.

Myranda fought hard to regain consciousness. She didn't want to experience her vision again. She bit her lip in anticipation as she stood alone in the vast emptiness. Every premonition began this way. What horrid images would she be plagued with this time? _Emma going on a mass murder_, she thought sarcastically.

The faint sound of sobbing caught her attention. She turned around quickly to see kneeling among some debris. Myranda swallowed hard and approached. "Brodie…?"

"They're gone…he's gone…they're all gone…" she said in a very monotone voice.

Myranda crouched beside her friend. "Who's gone Brodie?"

"Van…" she spat, "he killed them…he killed him!"

"Who did he kill?" Myranda placed her hand gently on her friend's but it was quickly pushed away.

"Go away!" Brodie shouted and pushed Myranda over before running off.

"Brodie! Wait!"

"What is this place…?" Myranda cringed at the sound of the voice. It belonged to the imposter.

She stood up and dusted off her robes. "You're the 'Priest', you should know!"

* * *

Emma watched Dryden sleep and wondered what she should do. She wanted to stay and lay with him all day but the critical voice in the back of her mind would speak up. How could something feel right but wrong at the same time? A smiled pulled at her lips. He looked so adorable and so kissable.

_Should I?_ She wondered and her gaze drifted to his lips. She wanted to kiss him once more. As she leaned forward, she could feel butterflies swarming around in her stomach. When she was only inches away she stopped. _Maybe I shouldn't… _She shook her head slightly and closed her eyes before lightly pressing her lips against his.

She moved away and turned her body away from him. She brought her fingers to her lips and smiled. Her smile faded quickly as a thought popped into her mind. _What if last night didn't happen? What if it was just a dream? Oh god…I just kissed a man that I'm not sure I've actually kissed before! Well, at least he's asleep so it's not like he'll know I stole a kiss from him…_

She carefully pushed the blanket off of her legs and went to get out of bed. That, however, wouldn't happen. An arm reached up and pulled her back down. A high-pitched yelp escaped her lips. "Good morning." Dryden said grinning.

Emma's body trembled. She hadn't expected him to be awake. "Don't do that!" She scolded him. "You scared the crap out of me!" She took a deep calming breath and without realizing it she began to stroke Dryden's arm that was wrapped around her torso. "How long have you been awake?" she asked nervously.

"Long enough to know you check to see whether or not I was naked under these blankets." Her cheeks went red and she quickly turned her head away from him. He smiled at her at her sudden look of embarrassment. He propped himself up on his elbow and with his free hand used it to gently turn her head to face him.

Their eyes met for a brief moment. Emma had quickly turned her gaze away. She had never been one for looking someone in the eye. She could feel her heart begin to race. _Why am I so nervous? _She wondered_. I shouldn't be. He wants this as much as I do._

She returned her gaze to him. She could feel a grin tug at her lips. He was gorgeous. She decided to throw caution to the wind and pulled him into a kiss.

* * *

As Brodie walked through the corridor she could hear the faint sounds of yelling. She stopped and pressed her ear against one of the metallic doors. It sounded like Dilandau. She couldn't make out all of his muffled words. She heard something about a traitor, a dragon and _the old geezer_.

When she heard a set of footsteps get close, she jumped away from the door and was ready to run. The door slid open and Dilandau stormed out. He walked right by her without even noticing she was there. _He must be pretty angry…_she thought to herself.

"Who are you?" a voice spoke. She turned to see a rather tall man wearing a pitch-black cloak. She had to admit, he looked a bit intimidating.

"Who are you?" she asked, looking him over. There was something familiar about him.

"I do believe I asked you first." Brodie crossed her arms.

"Brodie. And you are?"

"Ziabach's Strategoes Folken." Her brows knitted together. _Why does that name sound familiar?_ She wondered. Folken took quick notice of her unusual attire. He could only assume this was the prisoner he had heard rumors of. The only prisoner who didn't fight their captor.

"What's with the eye make-up?" Brodie asked. The question wasn't one Folken normally got.

"I beg your pardon?" He said.

"Why do you have a tear painted on your cheek? Are you a clown or something?" She wasn't trying to insult him at all. She was merely curious.

"It's not make-up." He corrected her. "And I'd rather not explain the significance of it." Brodie raised a brow.

"So it's a tattoo?" She said in astonishment. "That must have been painful to get."

"It was."

"So are the purple on your eyes, are they all tattoos?"

"Yes."

"Wow…and I thought I was crazy!" She shivered at the very thought of being tattooed on such a sensitive spot. _It must have been more painful for him though…they're technology is so different. I can only imagine how painful it must have been…_ "I… wow…"

* * *

"Should we do something Boris? They've been like this for a long time." Chid asked, looking up at his guardian.

"It shouldn't be much longer." Boris assured the young prince even though he felt slightly uncertain himself. From the moment the interrogation began he had noticed some slight oddities about the priest Plactu. _Perhaps the young lady was correct…_

"Get Out of my mind!" Myranda shouted and threw a forceful punch at the priest. "You're not taking me down with you!" she pushed him over and made a run for it. She knew what would happen and didn't want to stick around.

_Okay, time to wake up!_ She told herself. _Any time now!_ She stopped running and looked around her. The darkness surrounded her. She could hear the cries of the priest in the distance. _Why haven't I woken up yet?_

"You're not trying Randa." Her eyes widened.

"Emma?"

"Or maybe you don't want to wake up." Myranda looked around frantically but saw nothing other than vast darkness.

"I want to! Believe me…"

"You have to accept these dreams for that. Dreams. The future isn't definite. It CAN change. Whatever you saw may not happen. It's up to you to stop it."

"Where the hell are you hiding Emma?" Myranda asked feeling very frustrated. "Show yourself!"

"I'll be seeing you soon. Don't you worry…now I think you should probably try to wake up out of this before people think you're dead."

"EMMA?"

* * *

Emma broke away from the kiss. Her brows knitted together. "What's the matter?" Dryden inquired, thinking he may have done something wrong.

"I thought…I could have sworn I heard Myranda call my name…"

"Myranda?"

"My friend…she sounded distressed…" she pushed away the blankets and got out of bed. "Sorry, I need to get some fresh air…" she threw on one of his robes and walked out of the room. Dryden reached over to his night table and grabbed his glasses before getting out of bed himself.

Emma stepped out onto balcony just off of Dryden's room. She inhaled the fresh afternoon air deeply. _Myranda…I hope you're all right…_

Dryden stood for a moment at the door watching Emma. He approach and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "I'm sure you're friend is fine."

"So am I but…I don't know…I normally don't worry too much about her. She's strong and can take care of herself. To hear her sound so distressed just threw me off. I kind of feel bad for being happy now…"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you find your friend." Dryden said and began to rub her back for some comfort.

"Thank you…"


	14. Ch 14: Somewhere Out There

A/N: Sorry it took long to get this chapter up. Thank you Macky, punkdragonslayer, Litschi, Darkia, and Eye of Passion for the reviews.

Darkia: Sorry to hear you don't like my fic but you're entitled to your opinions. We can't all like the same things, lol! I've grown bored with the typical escaflowne fan fics(V/H etc. they're very overdone)so I decided to try something new and different.  
Eye of Passion: I completely agree. There should have been more Dryden screen time in the series! I couldn't help but turn him into a sex icon tho, lol! He's just so sexy, hehehe! And with having all the characters being older they can act less "innocent" coughs lol! The chemistry/tension/whatnot between characters is only going to get more interesting, hehe...especially when certain events come about. I would say what but that's just spoil it all, lol!

Chapter 14: Somewhere Out There

Myranda awoke from her dream with a jolt. Her breathing became labored as she became more aware of her consciousness. Her friend's eerie words had done more than startle her.

Her vision remained slightly blurred for a few moments. She could hear the muffled words of people around her but couldn't make out their words. Once she could see clearly her eyes began to wander.

She was still in the interrogation room but she was no longer alone with the priest. To her right sat Merle who was watching her intently. She poked the cat, unsure whether or not she was hallucinating. The cat snarled and said something but Myranda couldn't comprehend her.

She closed her eyes and focused her energy at sitting up. This was when she realized there were others besides Merle in the room. A hand held onto her left arm while another planted itself onto her back for support.

"I…owww…"she ran a hand through her hair and then shook her head. She exhaled deeply and turned to see who was sitting to her left. "Van?" She looked at him very puzzled. She looked forward and noticed that the priest was gone. "How long was I out?"

"You were like that for some time, Lady Myranda." The young Prince Chid answered. He stood next to his guardian Boris who was keeping a careful eye on them.

"Where's the priest? He's a phony!" Myranda shouted and tried to stand but only failed. Her legs were too weak and she merely fell to her knees.

Boris cleared his throat before speaking, "Plactu seems to have gone missing…" he answered feeling slightly embarrassed.

Myranda shook her head and tried to hold back her urge to chuckle. "I told ya…I said it before. Why doesn't anyone believe the girl who can see the future?" Myranda muttered.

* * *

Folken listened intently as Brodie explained of her adventures on Gaea thus far. He could hardly believe it at first that this woman sitting before him in his study was one of the Moon's inhabitants. "And I think that about sums it up." Brodie said as she finished her story. 

"Have you always had this ability to foresee the future?" Folken inquired.

"No. It kinda just happened. The same goes for Myranda. I don't know about Emma though…She's claimed to have had psychic dreams before but they were about stupid day-to-day things. Like this one time she had a dream that we went to the mall and ran into my boyfriend at the time and me and him snuck into one of the washrooms together and fucked each others brains out." She said with a laugh. "But never has she had the types of dreams she has now. I guess you can't call them dreams…more like nightmares that randomly happen."

Brodie titled her head to the side as she looked at Folken. There was something off about him. "Is something the matter?"

"What's with the big cloak?" She asked. "What are you trying to hide?"

Folken glanced at his right shoulder looking ashamed. "It's a part of a sorcerer's attire."

"I thought you said you were a strategist or whatever."

"I am, but I was also at one time a sorcerer of Ziabach." He answered, still keeping his gaze away from her.

"Then why do you still wear it?" He looked at her before standing up. "I'm sorry, did I insult you?" Brodie asked, looking up at him.

"No." he replied and unbuttoned the cloak with his left hand. The black cloak fell to the floor to reveal what he had felt ashamed of.

Brodie looked at his arm in awe. She felt slightly confused however. "Is that what you're so ashamed of?" She asked and raised a brow.

"It's complicated…"he began, looking at his artificial arm. His eyes were full of regret and shame. It was a constant reminder of his failure and betrayal. "I should have died that day…" he mumbled and clenched his claw like hand into a fist.

* * *

Emma casually browsed through Dryden's library the following afternoon. She had his airship to all to herself while he was meeting with a few business associates. She had made a pile of books nearly as tall as herself by the plush red sofa. 

She tried for a few hours to decipher the Gaeian language but had no luck whatsoever. _Well this royally sucks. I'm in a library full of books to read! Yet I can't even do that!_ She slammed the book in her hands closed and crossed her arms wit ha frustrated huff. "I really wish I had my school bag…then I wouldn't be this bored." She sighed and slumped back into the cozy sofa.

She stared at the ceiling and began to count the number of wood tiles. Just as she had count only a quarter of the tiles a white flash of light caught her attention. She sat upright and looked in the direction of where she saw the light.

Cautiously she stood up and walked to the other side of one of the bookshelves. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief. She had to be dreaming. What she saw before her feet was her school bag that she had left in Asturia.

She picked it up and held onto it tightly. "I missed you!" she squealed and carried it over to the sofa in a hurry. She zipped it open and her eyes lit up. Everything was there; everything except her necklace. It did dampen her spirits to not find it but she wouldn't let it keep her down. She hugged her bag and smiled. "I love you my magical bag."

* * *

Myranda soaked in the hot bath and just relaxed. It had been more then a long day and night for her. The prisoner had escaped during all the chaos and as did the fake priest. She wished there had been something she could have done sooner. _If I only knew…_

She sighed and stood up. She grabbed the bathrobe, which hung by the tub and put it on. She stepped out of the warm water and onto the soft rug. A shiver ran up her back and she thought back to the whole interrogation the previous day. The whole thing had scared her, she admitted.

After drying off, she changed into something that was more fitting to her taste. From the selection she had been given she opted for a pair of brown leather pants, calf-high boots and a neutral coloured shirt with an elegant flower embroidery. At least now if I have to run I can, she told herself as she laced up the boots.

When she left her room she noticed a few maids and servants rushing around more that usual. She walked around the castle until she had come across Merle and Van. "What's going on?" Myranda asked as he eyes followed yet another maid hurry by.

"The Duke has returned." Van answered and continued walking. Myranda stood for a moment in silence before following him and his cat. Something about him didn't seem right.

As Brodie tried to find her way around the floating fortress she found herself in the docking bay for the guymelefs. She looked up at them with awe. She had forgotten how big they were. They were certainly something to marvel at.

Her attention was quickly stolen as the large gates slid open to allow the crimson red guymelef to enter. Brodie stood still and tilted her head to the side slightly. _I wonder where Dilandau had gone off too…_

A few hissing noises filled the air before the cockpit opened up to reveal a great surprise. Relief washed over Brodie as she watched Miguel jump down. She placed a hand over her heart grateful that her dream did not become a reality. _It worked…_she thought with a smile. She was not a slave to fate. She could change the future. _Just like Emma said_, she told herself, _the future can be changed_.

Myranda couldn't help but stare at the Duke as he scolded Allen about abandoning his country and other nonsense. She knew it was probably rude to not remain bowing but her eyes couldn't stray from him. There was something peculiar about the Duke. She noticed it even more so with the tone he used with his own son.

She reminded herself that their culture and world was different than the one she was use to. However, there was a feeling that not all was at ease in the father-son relationship. _But why?_ She wondered. There was definitely something else behind it all. She studied the Duke's features and those of Prince Chid. She couldn't find a hint of Chid's father in him.

The constant poking in her upper arm broke her train of thought. A very annoyed Merle was kneeling next to her. "You're supposed to keep your head down!" she whispered. Myranda tried to shrug off the thoughts and bow her head down. _Am I reading too much into this?_ She wondered. _Chid probably takes after his mother, that's all. But still…_she glanced up as the Duke walked past, _why wont this feeling go away?

* * *

_

Emma laughed and giggled full of delight as she went through the contents of her bag. She found a few books that she didn't remember ever putting in her bag. She took out an astrology book that she swore she had left at home. She didn't care how it got there because she knew it would be of great entertainment.

She flipped through it and began to wonder what sign Dryden could be. She leaned back in the sofa and began to analyze him in her mind. _He's unpredictable, chatty, witty, smart, generous…he's definitely not an earth or water sign, which is good…_she turned back to her book and began to read a few descriptions of the six signs he could be.

_He doesn't seem to be a fire sign…_she read through more descriptions until she found one that matched him almost perfectly. "Taller than average, quick and expressive eyes, always on the move, likes to socialize, intelligent and well informed, very witty, dresses in a striking manner…looks like he's a Gemini…" She couldn't help but smile. This was too perfect.

_We're completely meant for each other!_ She sighed and held the book against her chest. _If he really is a Gemini then I'm in heaven…_

"What'cha reading?" Emma nearly jumped out of her skin and the sound of Dryden's voice.

"When did you get back?" She asked, sounding a bit out of breath.

"A few moments ago. I figured you'd be in here." He noticed the bag and raised a brow. "Where did that come from?" He inquired.

"I have no clue." Emma answered and sat up. "It's my bag but it appeared out of thin air! I was just sitting here going through some of your books and there was a flash of light and there it was. It's a magic bag!" She giggled and set her book down on the table.

Dryden picked up the book and began to flip through it. "What sort of language is this?"

"It's English, a language frequently used on the Mystic Moon." She answered. "That's one of my many astrology books."

"Astrology?" his brows knitted together as he tried to decipher the strange language.

"Yea, there are twelve zodiac signs that one can be born under throughout the year. My birthday is late January so that makes me an Aquarius. My friend Myranda was born in late November so her sign is Sagittarius. And Brodie was born in early May so her sign is Taurus." Emma explained.

"January? November? May?" Dryden looked at her quite puzzled.

Emma felt her heart sink a bit. "You Gaeans have a different calendar system I take it…Those are three of our twelve months."

* * *

"Now do you believe me?" Brodie asked Dilandau as she approached him. "You saw it didn't you? You saw that Miguel was going to die." Dilandau shot a glance as his subordinate who bowed his head low and left in a hurry. 

"Yes." He mumbled. Brodie smiled wide and jumped on him. Dilandau stumbled backward but managed to stop himself from falling over.

"I'm glad you're alright." She whispered and nuzzled her face into his neck. He wrapped his arms around her gently and had a concerned look on his face. He had just barely saved Miguel. What if the other images he had seen were to come true as well? His Dragonslayers wouldn't stand a chance.

He pulled back and looked down at Brodie. He found himself quickly lost in her deep green eyes. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek and was about to pull her into a kiss. He stopped quickly however. The images came back to him; the dragon mercilessly slaughtering his men.

"Dilandau?" Brodie said looking at him concerned. "Are you…?"

"I have to go…" he said and walked away.

* * *

Myranda sighed heavily as she sat herself down on the ledge of the fountain. She felt incredibly lonely. She hadn't felt such loneliness in a few years. When she was no longer tossed from foster home to foster home she had met the two people that she could call family. It felt like it had been eons on she had last spoken to either of her friends. 

Her heart felt heavy and she held back her emotions. She wouldn't cry. She had given up on shedding any more tears. They didn't do much other than show others you had a weakness. She bit on her lip as she normally did to stop herself from crying.

She held on tightly to the red pendant that dangled around her neck. She hadn't taken it off and wouldn't until she found Emma. She began to rub the stone gently and found it to calm her soul. _Emma must feel pretty naked without this_, she mused._ I don't think I've ever seen her not wear it except for when she lent it to me._

She raised her head up and looked at the two moons hanging in the sky. She didn't miss her "home" like she knew Emma or Brodie probably would. It was an odd feeling she admitted. She wasn't sacred at the thought that she may possibly never return there. The only thing that scared her the most was never seeing her friends again.


	15. Ch 15: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

A/N: Again, I apologize for taking so long to update. Come May I should be updating a bit more frequently seeing as I'll be done classes for four whole months! I'm about half way done writing the next chapter. Hopefully I can get it done by tonight.

Chapter 15: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Brodie crossed her arms as she watched Dilandau walk away. _Shit, I think my plan just backfired on me_, she thought with a sad look on her face.

"Are you alright?" Brodie sighed and looked at Miguel. She tried to force a smile.

"Yea…I'm just a bit worried…"

Miguel threw an arm around her shoulders for some comfort. "You don't need to worry about Lord Dilandau. He'll be fine. He's just a bit concerned about what you made him see. Just give him some time and he'll be back to his randy old self." Brodie couldn't help but giggle. His words did comfort her.

_Dilandau, you better be thinking of a way to save their lives. Please don't go after Van…

* * *

_

Emma glanced over the chart and calendars that she and Dryden had created together. By working together they had figured out how the Earth and Gaean calendars matched up. It may have taken them most of the afternoon to figure out but they felt it was time and energy well spent.

"So my birthday would be Green, 28th Moon." Dryden nodded. "And on Earth, the Mystic Moon, yours would be May 25th." She grinned delightfully. _May 25th…he's a Gemini! It's too perfect!_ She glanced up at him, softening her smile. "Wanna repeat last night?" she asked him.

He didn't have to say a word. She could now read him like a book. She scooted closer to him on the sofa and removed his glasses before placing a kiss on his lips. He placed a hand on her back firmly, pressing her body against his.

His fingers fumbled with the strings of her vest, loosening it. Emma broke the kiss with a giggle. "It's unbuttons in the front silly," she breathed and began to unbutton it while still kissing him.

* * *

Myranda watch Prince Chid with saddened eyes. It pained her to see the young prince in such a sad state. He had just witnessed his home crumble under the attacks of the invading Ziabach military. She went to go comfort him but was cut off quickly by the prissy blonde princess. Millerna crouched down beside her nephew and spoke to him with a calming voice.

Myranda looked dumbfounded. This was a side of the princess she had never seen._ I guess somewhere in her hallow existence she does have a thing called a heart._ "Didn't you have a bag?" Merle asked, sneaking up on the red head.

"Yea but it disappeared."

"You lost it?" Merle said, raising a brow. "Wow…you're dumber than you look!"

Myranda shot a deadly glare at the cat. "I didn't lose it! It vanished! I saw it with my own eyes. It was that light…" she trailed off and became lost in her thoughts. _What's up with that light anyways? What causes it? Is it a spontaneous thing? Or does it serve a true purpose?_

Merle rolled her eyes and yawned. "You're no fun anymore." She said before running off.

Myranda left shortly afterwards in search of something more entertaining. Standing around waiting wasn't her favorite thing to do. She wandered through the hallways in the air ship.

She stopped when she came across Van looking sullen as he worked on the sword of the Escaflowne. She went to enter the room but stopped herself. The horrific images of Van slaughtering the enemy with a twisted malicious grin on his face flooded her mind. She held her breath and waited for them to pass.

She looked up at Van worriedly. "Van," she began as she approached. He paused and looked down at her. "Don't fight."

His eyes narrowed. "I beg your pardon?" he didn't exactly enjoy being told what he should and should not do.

She took in a deep breath and tried to explain. "I…I keep having these dreams about you…You become another person when you fight." Her brows knitted together and she searched for the right words. "You… I…just be careful okay." With that said she turned to leave.

* * *

Brodie threw back another shot of the hard liquor she and the other Dragonslayers were drinking. They decided that with the return of their comrade a celebration was in order. When Brodie put down her shot glass she glanced around the room.

At one table Violle and Guimel were having an arm wrestling match. She looked sympathetically at Chesta who sat leaned against the wall looking a bit pale. He wasn't use to such heavy drinking and looked like he could pass out at any given moment. Something was missing she noticed. _More like someone…_she corrected herself.

She stood up slowly from her spot on the black leather couch. "Heeey….where ya goin'?" Gatti slurred and tried to pull her back down by her skirt.

"I just need to…"she couldn't think of an excuse so she shot him a cute grin with a wink and made her way out of the room. She brought a hand to her forehead and leaned against the wall outside the room. She hadn't realized how drunk she actually was until she had begun to walk.

She took a deep breath and went in search of a certain silver haired albino. She could only wonder why he hadn't shown up. Her cheeks burned and with each step she found it more difficult to stay balanced. _Uh-oh…_she thought as she took another step. She knew she had reached her limit as her legs felt like they had turned to jelly. She fell to the floor unable to move.

* * *

In just a few short hours the air ship docked at the temple, where they would be safe for the time being. Myranda observed the temple and tried to ignore the uneasy feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. As the day wore on the feeling only seemed to intensify.

When everyone had turned in for the night, she couldn't sleep a wink. Her eyes would close and then her mind would be attacked by gruesome images of slain soldiers. She laid on her back staring up at the ceiling for some time. She sighed heavily before she pushed away the blankets and slipped out of bed.

She walked around the temple quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else. She came to a stop as she reached what appeared to be a shrine to the gods they worshiped. Lining the high walls were giant marble statues. Myranda titled her head to the side as she looked at one of them closely. They seemed to resemble the gods of ancient Greece.

"What are you still doing up?" she jumped at the sound of Van's voice.  
"I could say the same about you." She said and looked back up at the statue before her. She felt her body shiver for a moment when she looked up. She shook off the feeling, ignoring it. "I can't sleep. I…" she bit her lip and shooked her head. "I keep having this same dream…" she sighed and sat down at the base of the statue. "It's become more intense and I really don't want it to come true. I want to stop it but I can't…"

Van raised a brow out of confusion. Was this the same woman who had the guts to slap him? It was as if she had done a 180. "You've stopped your dreams from happening before." He pointed out. Myranda smirked and held back her laughter.

"Those were easy to avoid. All I had to do was push you out of the way. This one I have to stop you from turning into a blood thirsty psychopath."

"B-Blood thirsty?" Van said with a shocked look on his face.

Myranda slapped her forehead. She hadn't realized that she hadn't told him all the details of her dream before. "Yea…I don't know if it's this battle or what, but you just go mental. You looked like a kid in a candy store as you slaughtered countless men." Her brows knitted together as she fought off the image of him from her dream.

"It won't happen." Van said in a determined tone.

"I know, it sounds crazy but…I just can't get that image of you out of my head. I want to forget it. I know deep down you're not that kind of person." She wrapped her arms around her legs tightly and rested her head on her knees. "This world, Gaea, it…god, I don't even know how to put it." Her eyes drifted up to Van who stood before her. She tried to rid her mind of the violent image of him. She tried to think of happier times.

* * *

A smile graced Emma's lips as she awoke the following morning. Her head rested on Dryden's bare chest and her arm laid loosely wrapped around his torso. It all felt so right. She didn't want to moment to end. Thoughts of home, of Earth, didn't dare cross her mind.

She inhaled his intoxicating scent. She tightened her grip around his torso; afraid if she let go she would wake and discover it was all a dream. _If this is a dream, I never want to wake up…_she thought to herself.

When she felt him move beneath her, she turned her head and looked at his face. "Morning." She murmured. He peeked an eye open and grinned at her.

"Morning." he repeated and pulled her close. "Sleep well?"

She nodded her head and moved her head closer to his. She kissed him gently before asking him, "And you?"

"Marvelously," he rolled her onto her back, causing a yelp to escape her lips. He bent his head down and stole a kiss from her lips.

"You really know how to begin a new day don't ya," she said between kisses and her giggles. Her arms wrapped around his neck and back.

* * *

Brodie awoke to a splitting headache. Her head throbbed and her stomach churned making her feel very queasy. She groaned and rolled onto her side. Her eyes went wide as she realized she had turned a little to quickly. She clamped a hand over her mouth and scrambled out of bed.

She luckily made it to the bathroom in time. "Never….again…." she mumbled as she poured herself a cup of water. She rinsed her mouth out and slowly made her way back to the bed. She laid down slowly and went to reach for Dilandau. To her surprise he was gone. _When did he leave? Or was he even in bed last night?_ She sat up right and scratched her head. "How'd I get here?" she wondered aloud. She clearly remembered passing out in the hallway.

"Lord Dilandau found you and brought you back." The young woman's voice startled Brodie. "Sorry if I startled you." She bowed and smiled sweetly.

"Who….how long have you….?"

"I am Marie. Lord Dilandau instructed me to look after you while he is off fighting the Dragon." Brodie's jaw hung wide open. She was lost for words. "I've never seen a woman consume so much alcohol and, well, be able to function as well as you can." Marie said as she picked up the clothes scattered around the room.

"Well…I uh…Hey, how long ago did Dilly leave?" Marie looked at Brodie confused or perhaps shocked at the nickname.

"Lord Dilandau left hours ago. I would say at least five or so…"

"Five?"

* * *

After countless hours of fighting, the battle came to an end. Even though the Duke had surrendered, Myranda breathed a sigh of relief. Throughout the duration of the battle she was left to comfort Merle, who prayed worriedly to the gods that her Lord Van would return unharmed. Myranda only did it because she pitied the cat. Van was the only thing Merle could call family.

Myranda stared out on the horizon as they departed from the fortress temple. They had been promised safe passage out of the country as part of the deal struck between Ziabach and the Dutchy of Freid.

As the sun was slowly setting behind the tall mountains, Myranda couldn't let go of the uneasy feeling within her. As usual, she tried to shrug it off. She told herself over and over that the battle had ended. There wouldn't be anymore fighting for some time.

"Boss!" Reeden yelled as he burst into the bridge of the Crusade. "This is bad!"

"What's wrong?" Gaddes asked. Myranda swallowed hard and cringed as the uneasy feeling became worse.

"It's the king! He ain't coming out of the Escaflowne! Something's wrong!" Myranda, along with everyone else rushed to the hanger when the Escaflowne sat in a kneeling position.

Merle grasped onto her necklace, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Lord Van! Say something! Lord Van! Please say something! Lord Van!" she cried.

Allen looked over the suit of armor carefully. His brows knitted together as he noticed something very peculiar. "Blood's dripping from the control chamber…"

"Van!" Myranda shouted along with Merle, whose voice was beginning to sound hoarse the more she shouted and begged for Van to respond.

"Please Lord Van..! Lord Van!"

Myranda grasped tightly onto Emma's pendant and shouted, "Van! Get your ass out of there! Stop freaking Merle out!" the pendant seemed to faintly glow for a moment. Myranda glanced at it but her attention was quickly turned back to the Escaflowne. The armour hissed as the control chamber opened, throwing a blood covered Van onto the floor before Merle and Myranda.

"Lord Van!" Merle shrieked and knelt down beside her king. Myranda held her hand over her mouth in utter disbelief. _Oh my god…_


	16. Ch 16: Let Go

A/N: I tried to get this chapter done quicker. It was hard since I've been busy with school work. 2 weeks left of the semster tho! I can hardly wait! But I still have a lot of projects and such to finish. 2 big presentations, 3 or 4 tests, and about 5 or so "small" assignments. Well enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 16: Let Go

Myranda knelt down by Van's blood covered body. _Why didn't I see this coming? Why wasn't I given some sort of warning! _She felt so helpless and uncertain what she should do. She looked over her shoulder and shouted at Allen, "We need a doctor!"

Allen nodded and turned to one of his crewmen, "Get Princess Millerna!" he ordered.

Merle sobbed uncontrollably and clutched tightly onto Van's hand. He pulled away from Merle and struggled to stand. "You really shouldn't try to move Van!" Myranda said in a stern tone. Van ignored her and staggered away from her and Merle.

"Lord Van…!" Merle cried. Myranda stood up and approached Van. She placed her hand on his shoulder firmly.

"Van you REALLY shouldn't be moving around!" Her voice was full of concern. She wasn't a doctor but she knew a little bit about first aid. Anyone bleeding that much should definitely not be trying to walk around.

Van pushed her arm away and stumbled forward a few steps. "I…I…I can still fight…!"

Myranda rushed to stand in front of him. She had to get through to him. "The battle's over! You don't have to fight anymore!" She held him by the shoulders to stop him. She could feel his body tremble as he tried to stay standing. "Van…?" He lowered his head and gritted his teeth.

Myranda's eyes went wide as he leaned forward. She could clearly see two large lumps forming on his back. "Lord Van! Please don't!" Merle cried, knowing exactly what he was going to do.

"Van!" Myranda shouted but it seemed nothing would stop him. His red tunic was ripped to shreds and he extended his wings. "Van…" when his wings had disappeared Myranda caught him as he began to fall forwards.

* * *

Emma stretched after she stood up from the couch in the library. She and Dryden had been discussing and researching numerous topics all afternoon; one being the theory behind why Gaea couldn't be seen on Earth. It had been awhile since Dryden had been dragged away by his assistant, the rat. For some reason she felt she needed to check out what was so urgent. 

She descended the white marble stairs to the main foyer in search of him. She tilted her head to the side as her eyes caught sight of the airship Crusade docked. _What the? _She hurried down the hallway and came to a stop when she heard Dryden's voice coming from his study.

"…I assume you didn't come here to discuss wedding plans. Let's cut to the chase." Emma felt her heart stop momentarily.

"O-of course…" came an uncertain reply from Millerna. Emma bit her lip, a nervous habit she had. _Of all the people to show up, why does it have to be her! Even Allen would have been better…_she thought to herself and walked away.

* * *

Brodie left the room in search of Dilandau. Every time he went off to fight she would feel anxious. She knew in her heart that he was a good and capable fighter. The dreams she had however, put doubt in her mind. _If Van does go mental, they wont stand a chance…_

Dilandau and his loyal Dragonslayers had become like an extended family to her. The boys, as she called them, were the siblings she never had. Back on Earth she did have a brother and a sister, however they never acted like true siblings. Her sister was never home, but that was because she had run away years ago. Her older brother was the good, successful child who was off making a difference in the world.

She slowed her run into a jog and tried to push away her memories of her home. The only thing she missed from there were her cats._ I hope they're alright…_she worried if her father had gotten rid of them in her absence, like he had threatened so many times in the past.

* * *

Myranda paced back and forth impatiently. She could only hope this Dryden guy could save Van. If not, it seemed like Van wouldn't make it through the night. Millerna returned shortly with a sad look about her. She didn't exactly want to see the man she was destined to marry. 

Dryden looked in awe at the damaged guymelef. "This is the Ispano Guymelef!" he exclaimed and quickly began to assess the damage.

"What? No hello or how've you been?" Myranda turned her head quickly to the owner of the voice. She rubbed her eyes and pinched herself. She wanted to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Emma!" Myranda exclaimed before running and bear hugging her friend. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too!" Emma managed to say. "I…I can't breathe!" Myranda loosened the hug quickly.

"What happened to you?"

"It's a long story. But basically I was kidnapped, put on the black market, was bought by Dryden and yea…here I am." Myranda hugged her friend once more. Emma's eyes went wide as she noticed the dried blood on her friend's shirt. "Myranda! What happened? Were you hurt?"

"Not me…Van…he…" her eyes drifted downward and felt the pang of guilt again. "I never should have taught him how to do that thing…" she said quietly.

Emma looked at her friend confused. "What thing? What happened to him?"

"I tried teaching him how to dowse like you do. Somehow he managed to use that and sort of became one with the Escaflowne in the last battle. Now we have to fix the Escaflowne save him." Emma pulled her into a comforting hug. "There was just so much blood…"

"It'll be alright…I'm sure everything will work out…" Emma reassured.

"Oh!" Myranda exclaimed and broke the hug. She quickly took off the pendant and held it out to Emma. "Take it back." She said. "I don't want to see it." Emma took her pendant and looked at Myranda very confused.

"Okay…"

* * *

A hand grabbed Brodie by her shoulder, stopping her abruptly. "Whoa, what's the hurry?" Dallet asked. 

"You're all back?" Brodie asked in disbelief.

"Yea, we've been back for a while. Some of the guys are have a victory party in the common room."

"Where's Dilly?" She asked.

He raised a very confused brow at the name. "Dilly?" he asked.

"Dilandau!" she corrected herself. "I need to talk to him. It's very urgent. It's about his next fight with Van."

"You could try the hanger. He needed to make some adjustments to his Alseides." Dallet explained.

"Thanks!" She shouted and dashed off in the blink of en eye. When she had made it to the hanger she spent a minute or so to catch her breath. It had been quite sometime since she had done any long distance running. She estimated that she had been running for a good ten minutes or so.

She wandered around the hanger looking for the only red guymelef. She knew if she found that she'd find Dilandau. She smiled softly as her eyes landed on her silver haired devil. "Dilandau." She said, getting his attention.

He stopped his tinkering and looked out from the control chamber of his guymelef. "What?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"I need to talk to you." He ignored her request and continued with his work. Brodie gritted her teeth and climbed up, much to his surprise.

"What are you doing up here? It's not safe for a woman." He scolded her.

"I don't give a fuck if it's safe. I have to talk to you." She tightened her grip on the guymelef before continuing. "Please don't fight Van. I hate to beg people for anything but if you do, you'll be sending your men to their deaths. Van is able to see through your invisible cloaky things."

* * *

As Emma and Myranda quickly caught each other up on their lives, Dryden had figured out a way to help fix the Escaflowne. By turning a switch inside the control chamber he was able to call the Ispano factory mothership. The Ispano inspected the armor and chanted together in an unfamiliar language. 

Myranda knelt beside Van on the floor with Merle, who was a complete mess. Myranda was actually beginning to regret giving the cat a hard time in days gone by. Emma kept her back to Van and stood by Dryden. The sight of blood made her feel very weak and faint.

One of the Ispano clan members approached the group, holding out its hand. "Fifty Million." It said in its monotone voice. Emma felt her jaw drop.

"Fifty Million!" Allen repeated.

"Escaflowne repair bill." The Ispano clan member spoke. A few of the Crusade's crewmembers looked in disbelief. It would take them more than two thousand years to save up that much.

"We don't have that kind of money!" Merle said tearfully.

"You can't pay, we leave." Emma glanced over her shoulder for a second at Myranda. _There has to be away…_ she latched onto her pendant and felt strangely calm.

"I'll pay for it." Everyone looked at Dryden shocked. Had they all heard him correctly?

"Young Master!" his assistant screeched.

"I'll give you my convoy. What do you say?" Emma's jaw dropped.

"Are you sure you want to do that? It took you years to-" Emma began but Dryden stopped her.

"It's fine." He said with a smile. "I have a soft spot for the king." _He's perfect…_Emma thought and tried to stop herself from blushing.

* * *

"Do you think I care about that?" Dilandau snarled. "He's just a worthless king from a fallen country! And he'll pay for what he did…" Dilandau growled and turned beck to his work. 

Brodie clenched her fists in frustration. "Are you still upset about that scar! Let it go! So what you have a cut on your face! Every soldier is bound to get injuries! You are in the military after all!" She let out a frustrated breath before grabbing Dilandau by his shoulder and turning him to face her. "You may not like your scar but I do."

"Get out." He growled.

"No." Brodie said and held her ground. "Not until you actually listen to me."

"I heard you!" He yelled. "You need to get out. You're in the way." Brodie blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, sorry…" she climbed down from the guymelef and waited as Dilandau climbed down. "So you're not going after Van? Err…the Dragon?"

He slipped on his armored jacket and zipped it up. "I'm still going after that bastard."

"No!" Brodie latched onto his arm as he turned to walk away. "Please don't! I don't want you to die!" She held back her tears and wondered, _why can't he see how much I care about him?_

"I will not be beaten by _him_." He said with much confidence.

"Dilandau…" she loosened her grip and closed her eyes. Tears flowed down her cheeks in what seemed to be endless rivers.

"Why the hell are you crying?" he demanded. He never liked emotions and loathed have to deal with them.

Her lips trembled as she met his stare. "I…" her voice gave out before she could continue. She wiped away her tears with her hands and turned away. "Just…I…"

* * *

"Bring some rope! Tie him down!" Allen ordered as he, Millerna and Gaddes all tried to hold Van down. Merle looked away, her eyes full of tears. She couldn't bear to see her Lord Van in such pain. His painful screams filled her head. Myranda looked beyond Van, and the others, at the Ispano Clan members working on the Escaflowne. She managed to block out all other sounds. 

Emma tried to not look at Van. She still didn't like him all too much, but she would never wish such torture on him. Perhaps in her dreams, but only that. As her mind wandered, as did her eyes and they soon caught sight on the bloody bandages around Van's body. Her eyes went wide and she looked away quickly. She could feel the bloody drain from her face and she tried to keep her balance.

Dryden took quick notice of her paling face and asked her concerned, "Are you alright?" Emma nodded once but then quickly shook her head no.

"I think I'm…" she couldn't even finish speaking as she fell unconscious. Dryden grabbed her quickly and gently laid her down on the floor.

* * *

Brodie twisted a lock of her hair around her finger as she watched Dilandau fly off. She felt like she had failed. She tried as hard as she could to stop him from going after Van. He was too stubborn for his own good. She could only hope that he'd come back in one piece. 

"I'm sure Lord Dilandau will be fine. I just don't know why he went with out us." Brodie turned around quickly to see Miguel and a few of the Dragonslayers.

"What the?" She looked back to where Dilandau had flown off too. She knew he hadn't gone alone. She saw the other guymelefs follow him. _Did he…_ she felt a smile pull at her lips. _He did listen to me…sorta…_ "Trust me Miguel, it's for the better."

* * *

Many excruciating hours later, the repairs on the Escaflowne were finished. Everyone could breath a sigh of relief. Merle helped Millerna remove Van's bandages. Surprisingly, there wasn't even a single scratch on him. 

Merle hugged Van tightly, "Thank god you're alright Lord Van!"

Van chuckled and petted her head, "Merle…Guess I had you scared, huh?"

Dryden looked on astonished. "Wow I can't believe he's actually cured…"he said quietly.

Emma looked up at him with a confused look on her face. "You mean you didn't think it would work from the start?" she asked. He forced a laugh and reassured her that he was positive the whole time.

Van thanked the group and Allen for saving him. Allen corrected him, saying he should be really thanking Myranda and Dryden. Myranda looked at him worriedly. "Van, you can't be reckless when piloting the Escaflowne. Frankly, I think you shouldn't use it again. What if in the next battle the Escaflowne gets damaged even worse! You could die!"

Van looked at her with determined eyes. "I wont let anything happen to the Escaflowne." He vowed.

"Van, just listen to me. Listen to reason for crying out loud!" Emma looked at her friend shocked. She could understand her getting a bit upset or angry. Hell, Van could easily piss off anyone. But she noticed an unusual intensity coming from Myranda. _What happened while I was gone?_ She wondered.

One of the Ispano Clan members approached quickly. "Fighters come." It spoke, "Ispano not involved. You leave."

"Ziabach?" Allen concluded.

"I thought we had safe passage!" Myranda looked angrily at Allen.

"We must be outside of the Dutchy of Fried…that could be the only reason…" Allen said with a concerned look on his face as he stared out at the horizon.

The Ispano member turned to Van, "Blood pact. You use Draconian blood. Ispano can't guarantee." Van narrowed his eyes and walked away.

Back on Dryden's Ship Van headed straight for his Escaflowne. Merle latched onto his arm begging him to not fight. "Van! Even the Ispano said not to-"

"I'll be fine!" he yelled. "Now let go!" He pushed Merle aside and began to climb the steps.

"Fine!" Myranda shouted. She was fed up with his egotistical attitude. "Go fight and get yourself killed! But don't say I didn't warn you!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Merle demanded from Myranda. "We can stop him! You hold him down and I'll tie him up!"

Myranda shook her head and walked away. "Just leave him. If he wants to be an idiot and get himself killed then let him."


	17. Ch 17: Wake Me Up

Chapter 17: Wake Me Up

Emma approached Myranda cautiously. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Why didn't you stop him?"

Myranda shook her head and looked down at the battlefield below. "It doesn't matter how hard we may try. He's too stubborn for his own good. If he wants to go play hero and get killed in the process, then let him. It'll be his own fault." Emma was taken back by her friend's cold words. She hadn't seen this side of her friend ever.

Merle jumped for joy as she watched her Lord Van slaughter the enemy guymelefs with such ease. "Lord Van's winning!" She squealed delightfully. Emma clenched her pendant tightly.

"Something doesn't feel right…" she said in quietly. She closed her eyes and looked away. The old sick feeling that had been absent from her body since she was in Palas had returned. It was the sick feeling that warned her that something horrible was going to happen.

Merle looked on horrified. "What's happening to Lord Van!" The Escaflowne had turned completely black and fallen.

* * *

Brodie had never felt more relieved in her life. When she saw the red guymelef dock on the Vione with not a single scratch or dent in it, she knew Dilandau had come back in one piece. She slowly made her approach towards his guymelef to give him a "proper" greeting.

Dilandau climbed out of his guymelef slowly. He wouldn't admit it but that battle had put him on edge. They weren't battling just another enemy; they were fighting with a demon.

Brodie wrapped her arms around him from behind. "I'm glad you're back…"she whispered and smiled. Dilandau didn't respond to her. His mind was all over the place. Everything she had predicted had or would have come to be reality. Even though he left his loyal Dragonslayers behind, he knew had he taken them to fight with that demon, they wouldn't have survived.

He walked out of her embrace and headed for his living quarters. He had some serious thinking, planning and cooling off to do. Brodie shrugged off his cold and emotionless behaviour. She understood he would need his space.

She stood alone in the hanger for a little while longer. What was to happen next? No disturbing images plagued her mind. Her stomach didn't churn and all feelings of anxiety seemed to have disappeared. She could only hope it was a sign of smooth sailing for them.

* * *

Merle went into a panicked frenzy one the airship had landed by the fallen guymelef. Emma felt drawn to the blackened guymelef. She touched the armor gently. Her eyes went wide and she quickly stepped away. She could feel her heart race.

Myranda hurried to her friend's side, "You okay?" Emma wrapped her arms around her abdomen and shook her head slightly. "What…?"

"I…he…Van…"

Myranda rubber Emma's back for comfort. "Okay, try to make full sentences. You can do it." She said with a reassuring tone.

Emma put on a determined face and approached the armour once more. She looked at Myranda and whispered to her, "I can't help him on my own…" Myranda bit her lip and glanced away.

Merle's ears perked up and she grabbed Emma by her shirt collar. "You can save Lord Van!" she looked up at Emma with her tear-filled eyes. Emma nodded hesitantly.

"But I need Myranda's help…"she said quietly.

"You can do it on your own Emma. You're a big girl." Emma felt her jaw drop.

"I don't know what happened while we were apart, but fine, don't help." With that said, Emma took a deep breath and stepped back up to the armour and went to place her hands on it.

It killed Myranda to do this to her friend. She knew Emma would be able to handle it. She, on the other hand, had nearly reached her breaking point. Her mind and body were exhausted from being plagued with horrid visions of the future.

Emma bit her lip as she contemplated what to do. Part of wanted to just run away, another told her to just ahead. Then an idea popped into her head. She reached and grabbed Myranda by her wrist just as she placed her other hand on the Escaflowne.

* * *

Brodie stood outside Dilandau's room with a contemplative look on her face. She knew he needed time to think and settle down. However, she had a problem with being patient. She balled her hands into fists as she resisted the urge to knock or open the door.

_I should…_she reached out toward the door then stopped. _No, no…_she told herself. _He needs time…_ her brows knitted together and she bit down on her lip. Resisting temptation was one of her biggest weaknesses. She was always use to going after what she wanted.

She took a deep breath, hoping it would maybe calm her or just stop her. It did temporarily. She punched in the code to open the door on the keypad and walked in. The room was a disaster. Maybe I shouldn't have come in…she thought as she walked around cautiously. "Dil-"

Dilandau walked past her and sat down at his desk. He jolted down some notes and drew a few diagrams. He mumbled his thoughts aloud and didn't notice Brodie standing by him.

"Uh…Dilly…are you okay?" she asked him and slowly made her way towards him. He didn't respond and kept writing down on the parchment in front of him. She leaned over his shoulder and tried to read what he was writing. Much to her disappointment she couldn't read his writing. Their written language was completely different than any she had ever encountered on Earth. "Hey, Dilandau."

"What?" he asked. His voice was surprisingly calm. She was expecting him to sound angry at least.

"What…what are you doing?" she asked. He got up from his seat, a smile tugging at his lips. He said nothing and made his way over to his closet. He rummaged through it. He emerged with a stack of papers in hand, which he carried over to his desk and promptly began to fill out a few forms. "Hello?" Brodie said and waved her arms around. Was he ignoring her on purpose? She wondered. "You haven't answered my question."

"Gather your things." He said and continued to sign the pile of forms.

"Wha…why?" he looked over the pages and made sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He never thought he'd be doing what he was. It was unlike him to but he knew that this was the right decision.

"We're leaving." He said with a faint smile on his lips as he stood up.

* * *

Emma let out a groan of pain as she slowly became conscious. She didn't remember much of what had happened. One moment she was standing next to the Escaflowne, the next she was falling in the darkness surrounded by fallen soldiers. Her throat felt hoarse from her screaming as she fell.

She weakly opened her eyes and rolled onto her back. She was temporarily blinded by the bright sun beaming down on her. "Ahhh…." She groaned and lifted a hand to block out the sun. when her vision seemed to recover she noticed human like figures suspended in the clear blue sky. Her eyes went wide she quickly noticed they weren't humans but more like angels.

"Oh my god…." She breathed. "I'm dead….and-and my theory of reincarnation is…." her lips trembled and her thoughts became a mess.

"You're not dead and this isn't heaven." Myranda answered, her voice sounding bitter. Emma sat up right quickly. She was surprised that her plan had worked. Myranda looked over at her friend with a very unimpressed look on her face. "Why did you pull me in here?" she asked.

Emma took in her surroundings and slowly got to her feet. Wherever they were, it was beautiful. It was a paradise. "Where are we?" she asked, ignoring Myranda's question. "What are they?" she looked skyward in amazement.

Myranda bit her lip out of frustration. "This is Atlantis." She grumbled. "They are Atlantians." She too got to her feet and approached Emma. She placed a hand firmly on her shoulder. "Now why did you drag me along?"

"I didn't want to do this alone…" Emma replied. "I didn't think I'd have the strength to and…well…I figured that if I brought you along you might have a better idea of what is going on. If I had woken up here alone I would have been a total mess!"

"You would have been fine," Myranda said as she scanned their surroundings. Van had to be somewhere.

Emma raised a brow, what had happened to _her_ Myranda? The one she knew and loved? "Okay, what the hell happened while I was gone?"

"Nothing." Myranda snapped.

"I'm not buying it. Something happened. Something big. Or else you wouldn't be acting so childish-"

"I am not acting childish!" Myranda shouted. Emma didn't look impressed. She crossed her arms and stared Myranda down, waiting for an answer. "We can talk later. Let's just find Van and get out of here." Myranda chewed on the inside of her cheek. The nauseous feeling the she got before something horrible was about to happen was astir in the pit of her stomach. "C'mon, I think I know where he is."

Emma sighed heavily and followed her friend. She wanted to talk about whatever was bugging her friend. However, once her sensibility kicked in she came to the conclusion that perhaps discussing such issues in a dream or out of body experience may not be a good idea.

Myranda followed her instinct. She didn't even take a moment to consider to even look around. She felt pulled in one direction. She soon found herself and Emma standing beneath a large, peculiar tree. They walked around the base of the tree and found Van crouched down shivering. "Van?" Myranda said as she knelt down by him. Emma followed suit. She waved her hand in front of his face to get his attention.

"Ok, we've found him so shouldn't this thing end? Shouldn't we all wake up now or something?" Emma asked. With each passing second that old uneasy feeling returned and grew more intense. She tapped Van on the shoulder hoping to get his attention.

The ground beneath them began to tremble violently. Myranda looked over her shoulder with a concerned look on her face. The once beautiful city had erupted into flames. Just like her past dream of Atlantis' fall. They were running out of time. "Van!" she shouted and began to shake him. "You've got to snap out of it!"

* * *

Allen and the others stood pensively by the Escaflowne. No one knew what to do. Emma and Myranda had been out cold for nearly five minutes already. Millerna knelt down by Myranda's body to check for a pulse. Allen had asked her, knowing that she had more medical knowledge than anyone else.

She gasped and looked over at Allen. "There's no pulse. We have to-" Allen moved quickly to help her move Myranda's body away so that Millerna could perhaps try and revive her. The moment Myranda's hand separated from Emma's, her eyes snapped open and she gasped for air. She laid on the ground feeling dizzy and confused. "what…?" she groaned and rolled onto her side.

"Myranda?" she heard someone speak her name. It sounded strangely distant. She ignored it and looked over at the Escaflowne.

"Emma!" she shouted and crawled over to her friend. "Wake up!" she went on to shake her friend. "I have to get back…" she said in a low whisper.

"Where's Lord Van!" a teary eyed Merle demanded. She latched onto Myranda's arm and wasn't going to let go until she got some answers.

"I…" Myranda looked down at Merle and back at her unconscious friend, worried and panicked. "Emma! Come on!" she shouted in desperation.

"You didn't answer me!" Merle yelled and began to dig her claws into Myranda's arm.

"OW!" Myranda cried out in pain. "Emma and Van are in trouble okay! We have to wake them up or…" She tried to ignore the worst-case scenario. Merle's mouth hung open but no words came out. She pushed Myranda aside and began to violently shake Emma's body.

* * *

Emma looked all around her for Myranda. She had suddenly vanished without any warning. "Myranda!" She shouted out in a panicked voice. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" She looked down at Van and shook him as hard as she could. "Wake up you-you idiot!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I am not going to die because of you!"

More of the land around them began to breakup and crumble away. Their time was running out. "What the hell did I do to deserve this! Really!" Emma asked herself. She shook Van harder and punched him in the face with all her might.

"OWWW!" Van yelled out. "What the hell was that for?"

Emma's jaw hung open for a moment. "Look around you! We have to get out of here before-" She was cut off quickly as the ground beneath them began to crack. Neither of them had a chance to utter a word. The ground quickly crumbled away and became no more.

As they fell to what Emma expected to be their deaths, Van grabbed hold of her tightly. He squinted in pain as his glorious white wings emerged from his back. Emma looked in awe. Myranda had informed her about them before but she never imagined they would be so large. She had imagined they were tiny little things that probably could have only supported only himself.

Shortly thereafter, a strange gold pillar of light surrounded them. Emma could faintly hear the desperate cries of Merle and Myranda. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like things were going to be okay.

Emma soon regained consciousness. Myranda knelt near her and had never felt happier in her life. Before Emma could even orient herself, Myranda had pulled her into a tight embrace. She was so afraid that she would lose her friend. Losing Emma would have been like losing a sister. She didn't want to have to deal with that.

"I…I can't breath…'Randa…" Myranda loosened her grip and held back her tears. "What the hell? Why did you leave me there hanging? I really could have used your help."

"I wasn't my fault!" Myranda exclaimed. "They pulled me away!" She said and pointed at Millerna and Allen. "I tried to get back but-" Emma smiled and hugged her.


	18. Ch 18: Predicaments

A/N: Yes, I know it's been awhile. But I had to work a lot this summer because we got so horribly understaffed at work and my manager, the idiot, waited very long to hire anyone. Then she went on vacation and then someone quite and then someone got fired. So we're in the same mess as before. Understaffed! GRR!

This chapter is a bit short and….i dunno…I had to force some things, but hopefully I'll have more updated soon. I have gotten back into a writing habit. That tends to happy when I want to avoid doing school work. hehe….oops….

Alright, the thanks go out to: Macky and Litschi. I will try my best to update more frequently.

Chapter 18: Predicaments 

Brodie sat by the fire bewildered. Dilandau hadn't told her anything. He hadn't exactly told any of his loyal Dragonslayers much either. From what she had observed, she could only guess that Dilandau had decided to desert the Ziabach Empire. Did giving him those visions really affect him that much? Or did he see something she hadn't?

Gatti sat down next to Brodie and looked at her with slight confusion on his face. She almost appeared to be in some sort of a trance. Her eyes stayed focused in front of her and her face was unreadable. He waved his hand in front of her line of vision to grab her attention. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Her head jerked up and she felt her body jump slightly as she realized that there was someone suddenly sitting next to her. _How long has he been there?_ She wondered. "Uh…yea…I guess…" _That's a lie_, she thought to herself. She was very much worried. Dilandau hadn't said much about his "brilliant" plan. _Is he still going after Scrawny Vannie? I know he's still pissed as hell about that scar._ For the first time since she began having premonitions, she actually wished she could force herself to have one. Not knowing what was their fate was really beginning to bug her.

_Where does this path lead? Did I make a mistake? Was I not supposed to change the fate of his soldiers?_ She wondered as she leaned back and stared up at the night sky. _How long have I been here?_ It seemed like she had been away from home for so long. The more she thought of her home, the more confused and conflicted she felt. She didn't exactly miss her home.

What was there to miss? Her mother perhaps, she concluded. She could live the rest of her life without her father. Oh how she despised the old man. Setting impossible standards, constantly comparing her to her brother, berating her, terrifying her into submission. She would never miss him. Not in a million years.

* * *

Myranda watched Van practice his sword skills in the loading bay of Dryden's airship. She needed to keep an eye on him. Hidden by the shadows, she watched him. He appeared to be in good form but then his body would freeze. His arms would tremble and his sword would fall from his hands, hitting the ground with a loud clang. 

She wanted to say something to him but didn't know what. How would she be able to comfort him? Van was never vocal about how he felt. _Well, when he's mad he is quite vocal…_she corrected herself.

His cold and detached nature almost reminded her of Emma. _Hiding behind a mask…_ Like Emma, Van didn't like to expose his true emotions. She sighed and turned away. _I should probably check up on Emma_, she thought and made her leave.

* * *

Emma took one final sip of her tea before placing the cup down of the coffee table in Dryden's study. She described to him, in as much detail as possible, what she saw when she and Myranda tried to rescue Van. "Thank you." He said with a smile and closed his notebook. 

"No problem." Emma replied with a small smile. Dryden stood up and began to look for a few books in his library. He had many thoughts and theories running through his mind. Emma tilted her head and watched him carefully, studying his body language. _What's he really thinking about?_ She wondered. She could tell there was something else bothering him. She parted her lips to thought of how to word her question with seeming insulting. However, the question would never leave her mouth.

There was a knock at the door. Both turned to see who it was. Emma's eyes narrowed as she watched the blonde bimbo princess enter. Millerna forced a smile as her eyes came across Emma. _If we were on Earth, I'd settle this my way_, Emma thought to herself. But, she wasn't on Earth so she'd have to play nice, unfortunately.

Emma stood up and headed towards the door. "I've gotta go check on Myranda," she said to a confused looking Dryden. "I'll see you later." When the door had closed completely, she suddenly felt her legs go weak and the next thing she knew, she was sitting on the floor. _Oh my god…what am I doing?_ She asked herself. Not only had she just mentally flogged Millerna in her mind, but also the horrible feeling that she had banished from her mind when she first learned of who Dryden was hit her like a brick wall.

She'd been fooling around with a practically married man! She suddenly felt the urge to have a very hot shower and scrub her skin so hard that she would bleed. She felt so dirty, and not in a good way.

* * *

Brodie laid on her back, staring up at the clear night sky. All was quiet in their camp. Most, if not all, of the Dragonslayers had called it a night. A few still stayed awake, but just barely. They had been put on guard duty. Once their higher ups had learned of their desertion, they would surely come looking for them. 

Dilandau was still wide-awake. He sat next to a small and dying fire, looking over maps, making notes of pieces of parchment. He would grumble every so often out of frustration. He would then let out a sigh, calm down and continue. Brodie rolled onto her side and watched him carefully. "Dilandau…" She spoke, not realizing she had actual said it aloud.

His head jerked up and looked at her. "What?" he asked simply.

"Uh…nothing…" she pulled her blanket close to her chest and averted her eyes. "Actually…" she took a deep breath and sat up. "What's you're big plan?"

"Plan?"

"Yes. You came back and out of the blue you decide to just up and leave. So what did you see?" She drew her knees close to her body and glanced over at him. He looked away and went back to looking at his maps. "Dilandau…c'mon…it couldn't have been that bad."

"I can't explain it." He said sharply. "Whatever it was you did…it showed me a more…" he paused to find the right word. "…logical path."

"Logical?" she questioned. "So what are we doing out here? Are you going to go after Scra-er-Van? Are you still bent on getting revenge?" He gritted his teeth at the sound of that bastard's name. He would get his revenge; he had vowed that the moment the Dragon's blade touched his perfect skin.

"Not right now. I have other plans. But I will…eventually."

* * *

"Myranda…" Emma began as she and her friend sat at the tops of the grand staircase. They hadn't talked much about what had happened to either of them while they were separated. Emma decided now was the time to get everything out. "What happened between you two?" 

Myranda bit her lip and turned her head away. "What are you talking about?"

"Between you and Van. Something must have happened. You're acting so weird. And the very fact that you were going to send me off to go and save him alone. You know him better than me. I spent what…?" she paused and quickly tried to figure out exactly home much time she had been around Van. "Only about 5 days or so with him. You've basically been with him the whole time!"

"Nothing happened!" Myranda shouted. "Nothing…"

Emma raised a brow, not satisfied at all. "So then why? Why are you avoiding him? Why aren't you caring? Why-"

"It's complicated. I…I don't know what to think or do…I was just so fed up with the dreams, the premonitions." Her voice began to trail off and she tried so desperately to suppress her emotions. "I'm sorry I did that to you…I…." She stoped as she her footsteps approaching. Emma glanced in the direction of the sound, her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched into balls.

It was the bimbo princess. Bitch, Emma thought to herself and quickly turned away. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything." Millerna said as she came to a stop. "But, I need some advice." Myranda and Emma looked at each other, both with very confused faces. "It's for a _friend_." She added very quickly.

Myranda shrugged and looked up at the princess. "Our ears are open." Millerna smiled and carefully knelt down to be at the same level as Myranda and Emma.

"My friend, she has this boyfriend. He's a bit of a playboy and recently found out he has a secret child."

"What a man whore." Emma commented quickly to herself. IT wasn't quiet enough though, as Millerna had clearly heard her.

"Let me finish please." She said in a calm voice. "There's another man, who is highly thought of and everyone thinks she should be with him. He's rich and kind. He father really likes him too and seems to really despise her boyfriend."

"Is that it?" Emma asked in a not too caring tone. She knew exactly who this _friend_ was and the two men she must choose. _Does she really think we're that stupid?_

"Yes."

"I say go with the second guy." Myranda announced. Emma looked at her friend completely shocked.

"Why!" Emma heard herself demand, much to the surprise of Myranda and Millerna. "I mean, why? Her _friend_ obviously doesn't like the second guy as much. She should be with the one she loves. The first guy." She ran a nervous hand through her hair as she tried to save her ass. _That was close…_she thought.

"But he has a kid! He seems like the type to just do it with anyone. And like you said before Emma, he's a man whore."

"But she loves him!" Emma pointed out. "Isn't that what matters?"

"Yea, but guy number two is rich and nice. That's the best combo."

Emma raised a brow. "Since when did you become so materialistic?"

"Emma, this is a different world. It's like the middle ages from back home. The best option would be to think of the future and if her _friend_ wants hers to be secure she needs to be a bit materialistic. At least the guy's nice. Most rich men aren't." Emma bit her down on her lip. _She can't be so oblivious can she? She knows how I feel about Dryden and yet she's advising this bimbo to run into his arms!_

"Millerna," Emma began and turned towards her, "I would advise your friend to follow her heart. It's the only thing that's going to make her happy in the end. And who knows, maybe there's more to the story about this secret child. Maybe he's not such a playboy."

Millerna almost looked as though she were deep in thought. Her eyebrows knitted together as she listened to the advice. They both made valid points. But what was she to do? As much as she wanted to be with the playboy, she knew ultimately that she couldn't have him. Unless she could somehow convince her father that the rich kind man was not a good choice. She rose to her feet and quietly made her leave of the two girls. She had much to think about.

When Millerna was out of ear shot Emma looked at Myranda quite displeased. "What the hell were you thinking?" She demanded.

"What!" Myranda asked, very confused.

"Do you know who she was talking about?" Myranda nodded very slowly. She was lying however, she was actually quite oblivious to the Princess's situation. Emma shook her head disappointed. "You were basically telling her to go off and be with Dryden."

"Oh…so? Is that so bad?" Emma's jaw dropped. "No way…Emma! I can't believe you! He's practically married-"

"Shhh!" Emma hushed her friend. "Not so loud. And no we didn't do what you think we did." Myranda raised a curious brow.

"Oh really eh? So you're telling me that you're pushing her away from him just because you want to or think you two might get a little…intimate?" she gave her friend a suggestive wink.

"It's complicated." Emma huffed and crossed her arms.

"Uh-huh, sure…complicated." Myranda wasn't buying her friend's excuse.

"Hey, let's talk about you're so called complicated situation with Scrawny Vannie."

"No we don't."

"Well then, let's just leave my complicated situation alone then."

* * *

Folken sat in his laboratory, his mind jumping all over the place. Things were not going as originally planned. He hadn't expected his brother to have been able to master the Escaflowne so well in such a short amount of time. Then, unexpectedly Dilandau, who was quite possibly the best soldier in Ziabach made the brash decision to desert. 

He hadn't yet reported this to Lord Dornkirk. Before he would dare to do so, he needed to gather more information about their situation. He also needed to formulate a new plan. The Vione was now seriously lacking in skilled soldiers. It wouldn't be wise to follow through with any of their original plans.

He sent a brief message to the capital, briefly explaining the situation and requesting more supplies and two new soldiers. _Yes, they will suffice for the time being_, he thought to himself. The twins would have finished up their training by now. They wouldn't have the same devastating effect that Dilandau and his Dragonslayers would have, but at least they would buy them time.


	19. Ch 19: Who to Choose?

A/N: First, I jkust want to say how sorry I am to have made you all wait!! I actually had this chapter done a while ago but apparently I forgot to upload it, lol! Oops...

Thank you to my reviewers! I'll try to update more often. I swear I'll try!

Chapter 19: Who to Choose?

Dryden grinned as he ascended the grand staircase. He had obtained something that he knew would have some answers to his theories of their situation with Ziabach, Van the Draconian and the strange power that Emma and her friend seemed to posses. Yes, now in his possession he had the journal that belonged to Allen's father. He was well known for going on a wild goose chase looking for the gateway to Atlantis, where all the world's questions could be answered.

There was a drawback however. The language in which Allen's father had used was foreign to him. Of all the languages on Gaea, none matched or came close to it. He did however notice something familiar about it. In Emma's books, which had magically appeared in his study one day, seemed to have the same shape as the characters used in the journal.

The logical choice was simple for Dryden. He would need a translator and he knew who would make the perfect one. And just as luck would have it, sitting at the top of the stairs was his translator.

It had been nearly two weeks since Emma and her friends had disappeared. Emma's mother, Clare, walked down the hallway of her home. She stopped and paused as she came to her daughter's room. She pushed the ajar door open and entered the mess of a room. Her heart sank as she ventured in.

She could only wonder what she could have done to possess her daughter to run away. She admitted that she was a bit of a nag and perhaps she did show some favouritism towards Eric, her eldest child. She unconsciously brought a hand up to clutch her nonexistent necklace. A sad smile pulled at her lips. She had forgotten that she had given Emma her pendant.

_My pendent…_she felt a rush of dizziness as she had come to a highly unlikely realization. _No…she couldn't have…_but it was possible, her mind told her. The witness to her daughter's disappearance claimed to have seen a bright column of light. For many years Clare had told herself what she had experienced was simply a dream and that she had merely found the beautiful red pendent in a field.

_Maybe that world does exist…just maybe…_she felt a bit of relief. If Gaea was real, and if that's where her daughter was, she knew she would be able to sleep a bit easier. At least she had a vague idea where Emma was.

* * *

Emma read the journal carefully. The writing was in the common "Earth" English, however the legibility of it was another story. She had seen worse, she told herself. The contents of the entries were rather dull and boring. That was until one entry mentioned a pillar of light descending from the heavens. _Someone else has been here!_

Dryden jotted down more notes as Emma read aloud. He quickly noticed her reaction to the last statement about the light. He wasn't surprised by her reaction, it amused him.

Her voice trailed off the more she read of the very detailed journal. The book began to shake in her trembling hands. _No way…no fucking way…_

Dryden's brows knitted together in concern, "Emma?" he asked, curious as to why she had stopped reading.

"Oh my…oh…my…" her sapphire blue eyes widened as a small gasp escaped her lips. "No way…"

"Em-" the journal fell from her hands and rested in her lap. A million thoughts ran through her mind. She didn't know where to begin.

"My…my mother…she was here! Oh my god!"

"Are you certain it was her?" he was a bit skeptical at the notion but anything was possible, he mused. Emma nodded slowly. There was no mistaking it. The vision that accompanying her reading was more than enough proof.

She saw her mother, who looked no older than sixteen, walking home from a party on the main strip of the small town of Glace Bay, her hometown. As she walked down one of the lesser travelled side streets, a brilliant column of light descended from the sky and engulfed her mother, whisking her away to Gaea.

Emma ran a shaky hand through her hair before picking up the book once more. She took a deep breath to calm herself and continued where she had left off.

* * *

Myranda wandered around the airship aimlessly. She couldn't help but feel frustrated with the current situation. She'd found one of her lost friends whom she feared she'd never see and had only spent a very limited time with her. She was beginning to feel the presence of an all too familiar cloud of loneliness settle around her.

She let out a frustrated sigh and gazed out of the open window. It was a calm and tranquil night. _Too quiet…_she thought to herself. Her muscles tensed for a moment. She was almost certain things would take a turn for the worst. However, that wouldn't happen.

She continued on her way, trying to push away the cloud of loneliness. Her fight with it was slowly coming to an end and she was not winning. Memories from her past burst forward. "So alone…" she whispered and wiped away the few tears that managed to spill from her eyes. Memories of her parents' deaths suddenly came to surface.

The loneliness she felt then was reemerging. _Why now?_ She wondered. _Why…?_ She bit down on her lower lip and tried her hardest to push away the vivid memories.

"Myranda?"

She gasped and did the best to dry her tears. "Yea?" she asked and looked over her shoulder.

Emma frowned slightly. There was something off in Myranda's tone. "You alright?" she asked as she approached.

Myranda nodded and discretely tried to compose herself. "So how was the reading thing with Dryden?"

"Interesting…" she said flatly as she took notice of the redness still present in Myranda's face. "Were you…crying?"

"…Yea…but it's nothing really. Just got a little emotional…" she laughed nervously and tried her best to further cover up. "So what happened?" she asked quickly, desperate to change the subject.

"Well…um…" Emma glanced around, making sure no one was within earshot. She gestured for Myranda to lean closer. "My mother has been here!" she whispered.

"WHAT!?"

"Shhh!!" Emma hushed her friend.

"How? When? Wha-?" Emma slapped a hand over Myranda before she finish with the millions of questions she was about to unleash.

"May I explain?" Emma asked. Myranda nodded slowly and as she did, Emma removed her hand. "According to Allen's father's journal, when he was searching for Atlantis she was stopped by this 'brilliant pillar of light'." Myranda's jaw dropped. "And when the light cleared there was my mother."

"How are you sure it was her? Were there pictures? Drawings? Paintings?" Emma shook her head.

"No…but as I read the journal these images…like the dreams or visions we had. I felt the same the uncomfortable, sick feeling too. He did mention her name too. The description fit my mom to a tee! It's so…why did she never tell me?" Emma walked over to the open window and inhaled deeply. It had been a very intense evening.

"That's…wow…so, what else happened? How long was she here?" Myranda wondered. "It couldn't have been too long. You're mom made it back home right? So we can too."

"According to the journal She was only there for maybe a couple of hours. Then the light suddenly appeared and took her away."

"Oh…"

"Yea…" Emma's fell from the sky to her hands, where they rested on the windowsill. She had so many questions for her mother. Why on earth did she never tell her? _Perhaps she thought it was just a dream?_ Emma mused. _But still…_

* * *

Brodie awoke to not just a throbbing headache the following morning, but the ground trembling beneath her. She squeezed her eyes shut and went to pull the blanket over her head. However, when she reached for it, it was gone. She groggily sat up. _Oh shit…_she clamped a hand over her mouth and tried to stop herself from vomiting.

She had drank more than she should have the night before. Her stomach was making that quite clear to her. She removed her hand once the nausea had left her. Now she could focus on what was making all the noise and shaking the ground. She rubbed her eyes and saw a few of the Dragonslayers running about, packing up camp and preparing their guymelefs for departure.

"What the hell?" she wondered and slowly rose to her feet. The loud hissing coming from the guymelefs didn't help with her pounding headache. She walked slowly and carefully over to the first standing figure she saw. She leaned onto Chesta's shoulder for balance support.

Chesta jumped slightly, as he hadn't heard Brodie approach. He sudden collapsing onto him was unexpected and caught him a bit off guard. "Oh, Brodie," He quickly noticed her pale face, "Are you alright?"

"Why…?" she asked.

Confused, Chesta had to ask back, "Why what?"

"Why are you all being so noise?!" Her face seemed to grow paler as she felt the urge to vomit once again. She tried to stand still and waited for the feeling to pass.

"Lord Dilandau has ordered us to…" he paused and took a step back from Brodie. She wasn't looking too great and he didn't feel like being vomited on. "He's ordered us to pack up camp and move. Apparently Ziabach has sent out a new specialized force to track us down."

Brodie hadn't really paid attention much to Chesta. At that moment her main focus was to not get sick. It was battle she was starting to lose. _Oh crap_, she thought and dashed away from the camp. She had lost her battle with her hangover. Now the poor bush that she had come to a stop in front of had become a victim of her heavy drinking.

* * *

Emma couldn't sleep a wink even if she tried. Everyone else seemed to have no problem however. She laid in her small bed, staring up at the ceiling. IT was as if her mind couldn't turn off. It was too busy trying to sort out not just the information she learned about her mother being on Gaea before, but it also had to deal with the alien emotions swirling through her body.

She closed her eyes and tried to shake away the thoughts. She just wanted some sleep! Was that too much to ask for? She tried not thinking about anything, but that didn't go so well. Soon she'd start to think and analyze her whole situation once again. It was a vicious cycle.

She frowned and got out of her bed. Being sure to not wake anyone else in the process, she quietly slipped on her blue robe and tiptoed out of the room. She intended to go and get some fresh air in hopes that it would perhaps ease her mind.

She made her way down the dimly lit hallway towards the grand balcony, just off of the main foyer. The crisp night air nipped at her skin, causing goose-bumps to form as she walked towards the railing. She stood in silence, her eyes closed and let the air blow past her. _Take away my problems wind_…she thought to herself.

"Emma?" Her eyes snapped open. Heart raced and she turned around quickly. "What are you still doing up?" Dryden asked.

"I…" She paused as she was lost for words. A smile crept to her lips as she watched him approach her. His hair danced gracefully in the wind. "I could ask you the same." She finally managed to say.

"I've had one too many espressos." He answered with a chuckle. Emma let out a small laugh. As she looked up at him, admiring his presence, her minds enemy came into play: emotions. She knew that he couldn't realistically be hers but her heart didn't seem to care. Dryden quickly took notice of her shivering. "Aren't you cold out here? Perhaps we should go inside." He suggested as he placed a hand on her back to lead her inside.

She didn't move and looked downward. Her mind and heart were battling each other. What should she do? Should she just stop thinking about him? Cut him off from her? Act cold and distant towards him? Or should she say to hell with it. Her gaze drifted back up to his confused looking face. She smiled gently at him and wrapped her arms around his torso.

Her mind had lost the battle. She didn't care that he was betrothed to Millerna. It didn't matter anymore to her. Being in his arms, in his embrace felt so right.

* * *

A/N: I know this one is a bit on the short side, but i promise the next chapter wont be. And it'll be up shortly as I have just finished writing in only moments ago!

* * *


	20. Ch 20: Gossip

A/N: Do your eyes deceive you? Nope! It's update #2!! and in less than 24 hrs! GASPS Please enjoy and reviews are always welcome!

* * *

Chapter 20: Gossip

Emma groaned quietly as the sun peaking though the curtains awoke her. She had spent a very pleasant night with Dryden. She inhaled his scent deeply and wished she didn't have to get up. She smiled to herself, enjoying his comforting scent and began to sit herself up.

"Morning already?" Dryden asked groggily. Emma nodded and stretched her arms wide. She looked around the room and noticed it wasn't his bedroom they were in. Rather they were in the library. _We ended up here?_ _Weird…_she shrugged the thought off as she quickly noticed her current state of dress, or rather lack there of. Her cheeks began to flush as she realized the only clothing she still had on were her underwear. _Oh right…that's what happened…_Quickly she grabbed the blanket they had shared and wrapped it tightly around her torso.

She stood from couch, where they had slept, "Have you seen my night gown?" She asked, hiding the bit of panic she felt from her voice.

"Uh…" He sat up right and scratched his head. When and where had he removed it? He couldn't quite remember if it was before or after they found their way to his library. A sly grin crossed his lips as he recollected the previous nights events.

Emma frantically searched the library. She couldn't exactly sneak back into her room with only a blanket wrapped around her. It would raise far too many questions. Also, with her luck, she'd run into someone on her way.

"Looking for something?" Emma nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the familiar voice. Standing in the doorway was the young cat Merle, with Emma's white nightgown in hand. Emma tried her best to keep herself composed and look at the bright side of the situation. It was only Merle, not Millerna or Allen or any of the other guys on the ship. That would have been more than embarrassing, to say the least.

"Yes, thank you" Emma said and made her way over towards the door. She quickly snatched the nightgown from Merle's hand.

Merle suppressed a laugh. "You know, you're just lucky it was me who found it." Emma rolled her eyes and hurriedly slipped it on. "I'm not going to ask what you two were doing, but-"

"Hey kitty," Dryden said, patting Merle on her head, "Why don't you go to the kitchen and have my cook whip you up some breakfast."

Merle shot him a deadly glare. She may have been part feline but that didn't mean she was to be treated like one. "I-!" But before she could even utter another word, she had been nudged out of the library and the door closed on her.

* * *

Myranda awoke with a start, a slight sweat clinging to her brow. Her breathing was erratic as she entered the world of the living. Her brows knitted together in confusion. She was no longer in possession of the pendent, so why were her horrid dreams still present? They hadn't gotten much better either.

The look of bloodlust in Van's eyes scared her the most. She tried telling herself it was just a dream, that deep down he wasn't like that. _But…that last battle…_ she closed her eyes and reflected on Van's last battle with the Ziabach forces. He had changed into an untamable killing machine.

Her dream, if she could call it that, began peacefully. They were back in Palas preparing for some sort of celebration. The city was alive and full of joy. That however was shortly lived. Out of nowhere, strange guymelefs appeared. The sky darkened and a bloody battled ensued.

The pilots demanded something of the people. Myranda, for the life of her, couldn't recall what. She did remember seeing Emma walking among the debris. Her cheeks were stained with tears. Was she hurt? _No_, she told herself. It was something else. Emma came to a stop before one of the attacking guymelefs and shouted something. Myranda's brows knitted together as she tried to hear. It was as if someone had suddenly hit the mute button.

She went to run over to her friend but was stopped. Something or someone had a tight hold on her arm. She glanced over her shoulder to find the one gripping her arm was Brodie. "Brodie?" she managed to say. Were her eyes deceiving her? "What are you?" Brodie shook her head and gave Myranda a stern look.

"Don't." was all she said before more chaos ensued. Buildings crumbled and the battle only became more violent. The Escaflowne once again transformed from brilliant white to midnight black. Myranda could only watch in horror as Van went on a crazed killing spree yet again.

* * *

Brodie paced back and forth outside of Dilandau's makeshift office in the abandoned inn they had come across. It would be their temporary base until things settled down. According to their surveillance reports, two specialized soldiers had been dispatched to seek them out.

The air in the old inn was tense. Many of the Dragonslayers kept quiet and on their guard. It was a strange change for Brodie. These boys were normally rowdy and to see them so serious was a bit unsettling.

She wanted to confront Dilandau. She wanted answers damnit! She ceased her pacing and stared at the closed door before her. She played out her plan in her mind. She would walk in with confidence and would not leave until she got an answer. She was willing to do whatever it took to get an answer too. So if that meant she'd have to use sex, then so be it. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. She grinned wickedly to herself.

_Okay! Here I go!_ She inhaled deeply and opened the door. Dilandau was in mid discussion with Gatti, his second in command. They both looked up at her with slight confusion on their faces. "Gatti," She said as she began to walk towards the two sitting at the table, "Could you give us a moment alone?"

Gatti looked to his commander and waited for his orders. "What do you want?" Dilandau asked simply. "We're busy-"

"I know you're busy. It seems like that's always the story." She looked at Dilandau with a pouty look on her face. She walked behind Dilandau and as she did, her fingers gently caressed his exposed skin. "But I really need…" she paused and began to untie the top of her tunic, "…to talk to you, Dilandau." She curled a lock of her hair around her finger as she looked at Dilandau.

He swallowed hard and gave himself a mental slap. Had he really been neglecting her so much? He wondered. She looked absolutely gorgeous and his body began to feel slightly aroused by her suggestive actions and presence. "We'll discuss the rest later. You're dismissed Gatti." Brodie smiled victoriously.

* * *

Emma walked down the hallway in a hurry. _Could this morning get any worse?_ She asked herself, running her hands through her hair in an attempt to make it look tidier. First, there was her encounter with Merle, and then Allen had to walk into the library shortly afterwards. On the bright side, it was just Allen and she at least looked somewhat decent by that point. She also couldn't help but notice the smug look on Dryden's face as Allen entered the library. She made a mental note to investigate that later. For now, she had to focus on the present and her present state of dress.

"Emma?" Myranda raised a curious brow as she saw her friend walking around looking like she had just rolled out of bed.

"Oh hi Myranda." Emma said with a forced smile.

"What are you doing walking around in your nightgown?"

"Uh…" She forced a smile and tried to gather her thoughts. "I thought I'd go for a morning stroll." That's plausible right? She hoped Myranda would buy it.

"In your nightgown?" Emma nodded, still smiling. "You slept with Dryden didn't you?" Emma eyes went wide.

"No, no, no!" Myranda raised a brow. "Well…we did fall asleep in the same room…" she added, "But we didn't do _that_."

"Do what?" Myranda asked innocently.

Emma raised a brow, unconvinced. "What you're insinuating." She stated plainly. "Any ways…I've got to go get changed. Got to get ready to leave." And with that said, Emma began to make her departure from Myranda. However, Myranda's hand quickly moved to grasp Emma's arm, pulling her back.

"Leave? What? Where? Why?"

"No one's told you?" Emma asked. Myranda simply shook her head. "Oh well, we're leaving. Heading to the Mystic Valley. Dryden believes that all the answers lie there. The answer to the mystery surrounding Van, the Escaflowne, Ziabach and us."

* * *

The remainder of the day was spent busily packing and prepping the Crusade for departure. It was decided that they would journey on the Crusade, as Dryden's ship would have made thing difficult due to its large size. It was quite evident that not everyone enjoyed the idea.

The major downside to taking Allen's ship was that living quarters were tight. The girls, Emma, Myranda, Merle and Millerna, were stuck together in a cramped room. How they managed to fit four beds in there was beyond them. The room looked like it was on meant to house 2 people at the most.

By sunset the ship had departed. Dryden had left a letter with is assistant, the rat-man, to give to his father. He could already picture his father's reaction in his mind. It was then that he felt pity for his assistant.

As night fell, the girls retired to their tiny room. Sleep came easily for them, all except for Emma that is. She tossed and turned in her small bed. It felt so odd to be the lone occupant of the bed. She had nothing but her pillow to cuddle with. She couldn't sneak off and sleep with Dryden. Not with him sharing a room with three other men.

She went to roll onto her back, however she failed to take into consideration where she was positioned on the bed. Instead of rolling onto more of the mattress, she fell onto the hard wooden floor with a thud. Quietly she groaned as she sat herself upright. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she stood up. A frown marked her face as she noticed the other were still fast asleep.

As Emma stood herself up, she rubbed her sore behind and made a mental note to never do that again. After taking a deep cleansing breath she gave her bed a contemplative look. Her eyes slowly began to stray away from the bed to the thin stream of light seeping into the room from the door. Without another thought, she pulled on a long overcoat and slipped on a pair of shoes. Perhaps a walk and some fresh air would tire her out some.

Quietly she made her way out of the room and into the dimly lit hallway. She wandered around the ship until she found herself in the loading bay. Not a single person was to be seen or heard. Emma walked to the edge and leaned onto the metal railing. Far down below was a sea of green. She shook her head and looked again, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. When she looked back down again, she could see the rolling hills and vast forests pass by, fading into the distance.

"Emma?" she felt her body involuntarily jump at the sound of her name being called. She placed a hand on her racing heart and turned around quickly.

"Don't do that!" Emma yelled at the intruder. "Who's there?" she then asked, looking around for the source of the voice.

"I apologize for frightening you, Emma." Allen said as he moved out of the shadows and into the moonlight. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" He asked.

Emma didn't respond immediately. He looked as though he had only just rolled out of bed himself. "Yea…but it seems sleep has decided to deny me tonight." She turned away from him, looking up at the clear night sky. She had hoped that if she ignored him long enough, or just showed no interest in his presence, he'd go way. So she proceeded to search out all the visible constellations she could recognize. _The big dipper…the little dipper…oh there's Orion…and I think that's Draco the Dragon…_

"Something the matter?" his voice sounded louder and Emma cringed slightly. _I guess to him, turning away says "oh please come chat with me"…_She subconsciously shook her head. _Wrong, wrong, wrong_, she told herself. "You can tell me," he placed a warm, gentle hand on her shoulder.

At his touch Emma was all too quickly reminded of the situation concerning her, Dryden and the prissy princess. She had tried to suppress her feelings about it, however they all came bubbling up. Dryden could never be hers. That was something that had been determined long before she ever met him.

Emma could feel tears begin to well up in her eyes and she painfully held them back. She wouldn't cry, she told herself. She slowly drew in a deep breath in hopes of calming herself down. It did very little help. A million thoughts raced through her mind. Some of which tried to dissect the real reason behind her sadness. Was it really because she couldn't be with Dryden?

No, there was something else. Something she had unconsciously forgotten. Her eyes gazed back up at the sky where she saw a shooting star soar across the sky. It then hit her like a brick wall. She gasped aloud at her sudden realization. "It's my fault…" she spoke quietly.

"What's your fault?"

"Everything!" Emma struck herself in the head with the palm of her hand. "All those times! All those wishes! I was so stupid!" She continued to strike herself. Allen, horrified by her sudden bizarre behaviour, grabbed hold of her arms to cease her self-abuse.

"Emma, look at me." She kept her eyes shut tight. She could feel the hot, salty tears begin to spill from her eyes. Emma really didn't want him, or anyone for that matter, to see her cry. "Emma." he said in a more stern tone.

"It's all my fault…" she said in a broken voice, still trying to keep her tears at bay. "I…I…" she took a deep breath, which did seem to calm her temporarily. "I use to make wishes on stars…"

Allen arched in confusion. "A lot of people do that-"

"Not my wish!" Emma interjected, and broke away from his grasp. "I always had the same wish; for my life to be more exciting; for it to be more adventurous; to be the stuff good books are made of! Don't you see? Me and my friends coming here is because of that wish!"

"It's probably a mere coincidence." Allen suggested. Emma shook her head fiercely.

"I don't believe in coincidences. It's my fault…"her knees gave way and she found herself sitting on the cold, metal floor. "My fault…" Allen knelt down beside her and pulled her into a gentle embrace. She didn't fight it, like she normally would have. Her mind was too focused on her recent revelation.

* * *

When dawn broke, the airship slowly came to life. Emma awoke in her bed, which led her to believe the events of the previous night were just a dream. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and rolled onto her side. Merle's bed was empty, as was Myranda's. Millerna sat on the edge of her bed, a scowl marring her normally pristine face.

"Wha-" Emma began.

"You have a lot of nerve." She hissed. At the sound of her voice, Emma straightened up quickly, "I cannot believe I almost considered you my friend."

"What-"

"I will not hear your excuses you hussy!" Millerna shouted.

Emma's eyes went wide at the accusation thrown at her. "Whoa! What the fuck!? I think you need to explain some things! What did I do?"

"I saw you last night. You snuck off with Allen!" Millerna stood up, glaring down at Emma with such ferocity.

_Okay, so I did run into him…_ "He followed me." Emma corrected her. "I wanted to be alone but he wouldn't go away-"

"So you thought kissing him would work!?"

"kiss?" Emma repeated, confused. "I didn't kiss him. He did hug me…"

"I saw with my own eyes!" Her lips trembled with anger. "You knew how I felt about him and still you-!" words began to fail her in her fit of rage. Not being able to continue on in her rant, Millerna stormed out of the small room. _What happened? That couldn't have…I…_Without another thought, Emma laid back down deciding it would be best if she didn't leave the room for a little while longer.

Her main concern was Dryden. How would he react? She had no doubt in her mind that Allen would gloat about it, if they indeed had kissed. She still couldn't remember if that had happened or not. Never had she been so mad at herself. She wasn't that type of girl. She didn't steal other people fiancé's or make-out with someone's crush. Who was this girl she was gradually becoming?

* * *

Myranda had hardly touched her breakfast that morning. What Millerna had told her earlier left her feeling unsettled. _Emma wouldn't have done that…_ it was too out of character for her. _Plus_, she noted, _she's said time and time again she doesn't like Allen…so why…?_ Myranda pushed away half full bowl and left the dinning area.

As she walked down the hallway, Myranda came across Allen. She narrowed her eyes as he approached. Letting her anger take hold of her, she grabbed him by his ascot and pushed against the wall.

"What-"

"What the hell did you do to Emma last night!?" Myranda demanded, still holding him firmly in place.

"I did nothing of your concern." He answered calmly. "We talked. She was upset. She blames herself for everything that has happened-"

"So that gives you the right to take advantage of her?!" Myranda interrupted him again.

"Advantage?" he arched a brow. "I gave her a shoulder to cry on, nothing more." Myranda unconsciously loosened her gripe on him. He took the opportunity to move away from the space between Myranda and the wall.

"But Millerna saw you two…kissing…"

Allen sighed, "she sees only what she wants to see. Any woman who I give the slightest attention to, Millerna sees as a threat."

"So what is she to you, Millerna that is." Myranda inquired.

"Princess Millerna Sara Aston, betrothed to Lord Dryden Fassa." Her face was unreadable, not a single hint of emotion. "I have no romantic interest in her, as you have insinuated."

"S-sorry…I didn't…"

* * *

Brodie laid sprawled across the queen-sized bed. Her one arm was wrapped around Dilandau's well-toned torso tightly. She didn't want to let go. She didn't want to lose that moment. Her free hand found its way to his silver locks of hair and curled around them playfully.

She grinned as she latched on tighter. She snaked her legs around his, enjoying and basking in his warmth. Brodie felt as though she could stay like that forever. A few moments later, she felt him begin to stir beneath her body. A mischievous smile graced her lips as she repositioned herself so that she was straddling him.

"Good morning," Brodie greeted him in a sultry voice. "Sleep well?"

Dilandau's eyes were immediately transfixed on her perfect, ample, bare breasts. He hadn't completely heard what she had said, but something inside of him told him a nod would do. He brought an arm up and pulled her close. He licked his lips hungrily before capturing an erect nipple with them. He twirled his tongue around the sensitive bud, teasing the hell out of Brodie. She let out a pleasure filled moan.

_The perfect way to start the perfect day_, she thought as she lowered herself down and repositioned yet again. Her hand sneakily found its way to his swelling member. She grinned and traced her fingers up his shaft gently. He let out an almost animalistic moan at her touches and teases.

* * *

"Emma?" Myranda spoke quietly as she entered their room. "You awake?" she asked, looking at the human shaped heap on Emma's bed.

"Maybe…" Emma groaned. "Depends who's askin'…"

Myranda smiled and closed the door gently behind her. "It's just me." Slowly Emma sat herself up right and turned to face her friend.

"I'm horrible…I'm a horrible person…"

"No you're not-"

"Yes I am!" Emma refuted.

"No!" Myranda shouted back. "I talked to Millerna and Allen. You didn't do anything with him. Millerna's just a little delusional." She explained calmly.

"I didn't mean about that. It's my fault we're here! It's my fault we're in this mess…" she buried her face into her hands. "It's my stupid fault…"she mumbled. "My…fault…"

"Oh…the wish thing…" Emma's head jerked up. "Allen did say something about that, but it's-"

"Not a coincidence." Emma cut in. "I've thought about and it makes total sense. I just wish you guys hadn't gotten involved." She let out a heavy sigh as she leaned back on her bed. "To be honest…when Van and that dragon showed up on Earth, I felt almost excited, exhilarated! This is what I'd been wanting for so long. Adventure, unpredictability, love…"Myranda shook her head and stifled a laugh.

"Oh Emma…"she sighed.

"Wait, you said earlier about Millerna being delusional. Care to elaborate?" Myranda looked at her dumbfounded for a moment.

"Oh, yea, whatever she said you did with Allen didn't happen. He said you were upset and he hugged you." Myranda explained, which greatly relieved Emma. "Oh, and by the way, Millerna's out to get you because you're the center of Allen's affection."

"I wonder what she'd think about me and Dryden being so close." Emma couldn't help but smile mischievously. "It's not like she's head over heels for him."

* * *

The quiet that had engulfed the old inn was shattered abruptly. Dallet and Miguel had only just returned from their security patrol of the area and they had some less than pleasant news. They dashed up the stairs, taking two at a time, and banged on the door to Dilandau's quarters. Dallet leaned against the wall as he tried to catch his breath. IT had been quite some time since he had to run like that.

"What!?" Dilandau roared from the bed. He was in the midst of pleasuring his woman and did not enjoy the interruption.

"Lord Dilandau, we have an urgent problem!" Miguel answered.

"Can it wait?!" He glanced down at the naked Goddess beneath his body. Oh he could play with her for days on end.

"No Lord Dilandau. It's extremely urgent." Dilandau groaned loudly and threw back the bed sheets, leaving his naughty vixen alone in the bed.

"This shouldn't take long," he told Brodie as he slipped on his pants followed by his boots. "I'll be back soon," he told her, before hungrily kissing her. Brodie fell back onto the pillows. She felt on top of the world! Nothing could ruin her day. Nothing expect- "What!?" she heard Dilandau yell from the hallway. She sighed sadly and proceeded to get out of bed. Lazily she dressed herself, dreading the moment Dilandau returned. And, as if on cue, Dilandau burst into the room. "Get dressed!"

"Done." She answered, much to his surprise.

"We're leaving."

She looked at him sadly, "They caught up didn't they?"

"How did you-"

"Woman's intuition." She half lied. Yes there was that instinct, but her dreams had foretold it. The two specialized soldiers would catch up. Their only option would be to flee and head towards Asturia.

* * *

A/N: Hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon. I just need to find my rough notes, lol. Please, review. It doesn't have to be long, it's just nice to know people are reading and enjoying my work.


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